Tuesday 10 January 2012

10 Most Polluted Cities in the World


Posted by admin on Jan 9, 2012
In a globalized economy, pollution affects everyone. Believe it or not, there are areas of the globe that are nearly if not completely uninhabitable due to pollution. You may or may not be skeptical as to the causes of this past year's massive floods and extended droughts, but the well-documented effects of unchecked pollution demand our attention. The following list of some of the world's most polluted cities comes from data gathered from The Blacksmith Institute, the World Health Organization, as well as OurAmazingPlanet.com and the Environmental Protection Agency. The cities are listed in no particular order.
  1. Linfen, China

    China is currently the world's largest producer of carbon dioxide, and its coal industry provides roughly 2/3 of the country's energy. Residents of Linfen, who choke on the dust from coal burning, may finally experience some relief if the city follows through with a plan to replace the small, polluting plants with larger, cleaner, better regulated facilities.
  2. La Oroya, Peru

    Since 1997, the smelter in La Oroya has generated nearly four times as much revenue as its sister plant in the U.S. while spewing 31 times as much lead into the air. Unbelievably, in spite of action by U.S. environmental groups, the plant continues to operate. More than 99% of the children in La Oroya have lead poisoning.
  3. Ahvaz, Iran

    The heavily industrialized city of Ahvaz tops the World Health Organization's list of the most air-polluted cities on the planet, air pollution being airborne particles smaller than 10 micrometers. Three additional cities in Iran flagged in 2011 by WHO for dangerous levels of airborne pollutants include Sanadaj, Kermanshah, and Yasouj.
  4. Chernobyl, Russia


    Remember the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, the world's worst nuclear disaster to date? The 19-mile radius around the plant that melted down remains uninhabitable to this day, and residents in the vicinity and beyond continue to suffer radiation-related physical ailments. Perhaps in an effort to educate people about the dangers of nuclear power, the Ukranian government opened the area around Chernobyl to tourists in 2010. Eating locally produced food was and still is discouraged.
  5. Gaberone, Botswana

    Air pollution in cities in low-income countries is all too common, but Gaberone, in the middle income country of Botswana, made WHO's list of ten most air-polluted cities. Veld and forest fires as well as exhaust from second-hand vehicles are the main source for air pollutants in the city.
  6. Ludhiana, India

    Ludhiana is the largest city in the state of Punjab, and one of the richest. It is also the most polluted due to industry and, like Gaberone, diesel fumes from congested traffic.
  7. Kabwe, Zambia


    Lead from a centrally located, now shut-down mine and smelter plant contaminated Kabwe's air and soil for decades. Kabwe's people suffer from the effects of lead poisoning. Thankfully, there are initiatives taking place to analyze, educate the populace about, and remedy the resulting damage, including a commitment by the World Bank to fund the removal of lead from the city's soil.
  8. Norilsk, Russia

    Home of the world's largest heavy metals smelting complex, the children of Norilsk, like all children in heavily polluted communities, are the most susceptible to pollution, and suffer from a variety of respiratory diseases.
  9. Mailuu-Suu, Kyrgystan

    Home to a former Soviet uranium plant that ran from 1946 to 1968, well over a million cubic meters of radioactive mining waste continues to sicken local residents and threaten the health of those living populated areas throughout Central Asia.
  10. Tianying, China

    The battle between industry and environmental protection continues in Tianying, China, home of half of the lead produced in that country. Due to lax regulation of outdated technology, the toxic metal continues to poison the city's soil, water, and population, including of course its most vulnerable members, its children.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, іncгedіble blog layout! How long have you beеn
blogging for? you made blogging look eaѕy.
Thе overall look οf your web sitе is great, let alone thе contеnt!


Mу weblog ... payday loans no credit check

Anonymous said...

There's definately a lot to find out about this topic. I love all of the points you have made.

Look at my homepage; Payday Loans

Anonymous said...

The owner decided after the event to donate half of the
proceeds back to the students. I've played Nancy Drew for years and even her saccharine personality is more 3D than Lindsay or 'Linds') as she calls herself. Every Halloween party that people remember later in the year by saying things like "Do you remember so-and-so's
Halloween party last year.

Feel free to surf to my blog post ... houston hotel reservations

Anonymous said...

I must thаnκ you fοr thе effoгts yοu have put in wгiting this site.
I reаlly hope tо cheсk out the sаme high-grade
сοntent by you later οn as well.
In faсt, youг creativе ωгіting abilities has inspiгеd
me to get mу vегy oωn blog now ;)

Αlso visit my web-sіte :: Same Day Payday Loans

Anonymous said...

Very shortly this sitе will be famous аmong аll blοggіng and site-building vieωеrs, ԁue to
іt's nice articles or reviews

Also visit my weblog New Bingo Sites

Anonymous said...

DJ spins out on Saturday nights. Anna had been looking through my phone while I was naked.
Theme Format: It is almost like standard format of the pub quiz.


My website: pub quiz and answers

Anonymous said...

After a half hour of slow paddling, I came to one of my favorite tributaries.

Think about it, you're deep in the Ozark wilderness. Just be aware that the sun doesn't always love too well in return.


Feel free to visit my webpage: water shoes

Anonymous said...

Someboԁy necessarily help to make seгiouѕlу ρosts I'd state. This is the first time I frequented your web page and up to now? I surprised with the analysis you made to make this particular put up amazing. Excellent activity!

Feel free to visit my homepage :: New Bingo Sites

Anonymous said...

(Thank you rounds are always welcome, of course. Local country clubs are offering trivia fun for as little as forty dollars
per couple. The decline of the East side blues scene was disheartening,
but, it also gave rise to the need for a fresh start, which came in the form of
the next blues-only venue, Antone's, founded by the late Clifford Antone, during the summer of 1975.

Also visit my webpage: funny pub quiz names

Anonymous said...

The only hurdle to accessing this is of course human limitations and the
fact that the brain does not function solely as a learning tool for the human being.

Popular prizes include sports tickets, cash and
vouchers for drinks, food - and dollars off of
tabs. They feature almost nightly drink specials
and some form of entertainment every night of the week--DJ's, live music, trivia, you name it.

Stop by my web blog - pub quiz and answers

Why cows may be hiding something but AI can spot it

  By Chris Baraniuk Technology of Business reporter Published 22 hours ago Share IMAGE SOURCE, GETTY IMAGES Image caption, Herd animals like...