Which are the most polluted cities in the world?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

Which cities deserve the title of the most environmentally unsafe in the world? In what places is there a real threat to the he alth and life of the population? Let's highlight the top 10 most polluted cities in the world.

Sumgayit

The Azerbaijani city of Sumgayit was founded in the 40s of the last century. Initially, there was an extremely rapid population growth. By the middle of the century, the number of inhabitants of the city exceeded a quarter of a million. Soon there was an acute shortage of housing. Therefore, a significant part of the population simply had to huddle in the cramped rooms of numerous hostels.

However, the shortage of housing was not the main problem for the residents of Sumgayit. In the presented region, a whole mass of chemical enterprises was concentrated, whose activities over several decades turned the once fragrant nature into a scorched desert.

BCurrently, about 260,000 people live in Sumgayit, which is located 30 km from the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. In Soviet times, about 40 factories were located in the city district, which were engaged in the manufacture of a wide variety of chemicals. The largest enterprises, such as Khimprom, Aluminum Plant, Organic Synthesis, are still operating at full capacity.

During each year, from 70 to 120 tons of hazardous emissions are emitted into the atmosphere above the city, which are formed as a result of the processing of chlorine-containing compounds, rubber, heavy metals, as well as the manufacture of pesticides, household cleaning products. Today, thanks to environmental control, environmental pollution in the region has decreased. However, even those substances that enter the air are enough to make local waters and soils unusable.

The unfavorable ecological situation could not but affect the he alth of the population. Thus, the level of life-threatening diseases here is more than 50% higher than in other settlements of the country. Therefore, it is not surprising that Sumgait is annually included in the ranking of the most polluted cities in the world.

Lingfeng

Continuing to survey the 10 most polluted cities in the world, one of the largest industrial centers of China called Linfeng cannot be ignored. It is located in the main coal mining region of the country. The natural hills surrounding the village are simply dotted withmineral mines. Moreover, the bulk of the mines are illegal workings. Their waste pollutes the soil and groundwater around the clock.

However, the numerous mines are a relatively minor problem. In addition to mines, dozens of coal processing plants operate in the city district. Along with the growth of the population, which is replenished by newly arrived workers, the number of cars also increases. Their exhaust, combined with emissions of toxic substances into the atmosphere from local enterprises, led to catastrophic levels of arsenic in the atmosphere.

Residents of the city have to go outside in protective masks that filter dangerous toxins and partially eliminate the pungent smell of coal. Air pollution in Linfeng is so significant that after washing, laundry hung out the window turns completely black after a few minutes. Numerous residents of the city suffer from bronchitis, pneumonia, and other lung diseases.

Kabwe

We continue to consider the most polluted cities in the world. The next in our ranking is the city of Kabwe, located 150 km from the capital of the African state of Zambia. This settlement is known for the largest deposits of lead-enriched rocks on the planet. For a century, poisonous metal has been mined here at an industrial pace. Lack of control over the ecological situation in the region leads to significant air, groundwater and soil pollution. At a distance of tens of kilometers from the city it is dangerous notwhat to drink from wells, but also just to breathe the air. It is not surprising that the percentage of lead compounds in the blood of the city's population exceeds the permissible norms by more than 10 times.

Dzerzhinsk

Russian Dzerzhinsk is also on the list of the most polluted cities in the world. The Soviet heritage of this settlement is the huge industrial complexes for the processing of chemical raw materials. Since 1930 alone, more than 300,000 tons of toxic compounds have been "enriched" in the local soil.

According to the results of the latest research, today the amount of life-threatening phenols and carcinogenic dioxins in local water bodies exceeds the norm by several thousand times. The average life expectancy for men here is about 42 years, and for women - 47 years. Given the above, it should not be surprising that Dzerzhinsk is included in the list, which includes the most polluted cities in the world in terms of ecology.

Norilsk

From the first years of its existence, the Russian Norilsk joined the list, which includes the most polluted cities in the world by air. Since the 50s of the last century, this settlement has the glory of one of the leaders of heavy industry on the entire planet.

According to the latest data from the environmental control organizations in the country, more than 1,000 tons of toxic decay products of nickel and copper are released into the local atmosphere every year. The air in the city is saturated with criticalsulfur oxide content. As a result, the average life expectancy of the local population has been reduced by 10-15 years compared to other regions of the country.

La Oroya

The Peruvian industrial center of La Oroya also ranks among the most polluted cities in the world. The settlement, insignificant in area, is located in the foothills of the Andes, where deposits of ores of the most common metals are concentrated. For several decades in a row, they have been mining lead, copper, zinc, and other minerals on an industrial scale. At the same time, the ecological situation in the region is still not controlled by the relevant organizations. Today, the city of La Oroya is infamous throughout South America as a place where there is the highest mortality among children.

Sookinde

Considering the most polluted cities in the world, you should pay attention to the Indian industrial center of Sukinde. More than 95% of the country's chromium is mined here. As a result, the city has turned into a real waste dump for several decades. There are numerous burial mounds in the vicinity of the settlement, which are of absolutely man-made origin.

Tons of hexavalent chromium are released into the atmosphere over Sukinde. It is this substance that is known as the most powerful catalyst that leads to the formation of cancer cells in the body. In large quantities, the carcinogen was found not only in the local air, but also in soil and water, which is used by residents of the city fordrinking.

Chernobyl

As you know, the Chernobyl disaster, which occurred several decades ago, to this day remains the worst man-made incident on the planet in the history of mankind. Already in the first years after the explosion of the nuclear reactor of the power plant, the number of victims among the population exceeded 5.5 million. A large-scale accident made uninhabitable not only the nearest city of Pripyat, but also led to the formation of an exclusion zone with a radius of 30 km around the settlement.

Every year, Chernobyl consistently ranks among the most polluted cities in the world. Hundreds of tons of enriched plutonium and uranium are still concentrated in the area where the dilapidated reactor is located. According to official data, about five million people continue to live in the territory that is part of the exclusion zone.

Vapi

The Indian city of Vapi is inhabited by more than 70 thousand people. All of them are located in the area where there is an increased danger to the he alth and life of people. According to data from environmental organizations, there are currently no technologies that would allow cleaning the local air, water and soil from toxic substances.

Vapi is located on the territory of the industrial belt of the country with a length of about 400 kilometers. Local businesses avoid spending money on recycling waste that piles up in completely random places around the city. Vapi is alsoa kind of garbage dump for nearby settlements.

Here there is a massive accumulation of waste from chemical, textile, oil refineries. Heavy metals, poisons, pesticides, substances containing chlorine and mercury daily enter rivers and groundwater, which remain the main sources of drinking for the local population. To understand the scale of the ecological catastrophe, just look at the Kolak River, which is located near Vapi. According to researchers, there is absolutely no biological life in the waters of the latter.

In conclusion

So we looked at which of the most polluted cities in the world really deserve their status. In fact, the list of life-threatening settlements includes hundreds of cities around the planet. Our rating contains only the most striking examples of man's frankly careless attitude towards nature and his own habitat.