Unfortunately, humanity does not appreciate what the planet Earth has given it. Water and air are polluted with waste, trees are cut down, the soil is poisoned with toxins. In their quest to get rich, powerful people are destroying our planet more and more every year. Do they not realize that they themselves live here? After all, no money in the future will be able to provide them with a place with clean air, water and soil. Here is a list of the dirtiest places on our planet.
City of Ahvaz
In the southwestern part of Iran, on the banks of the Karun River, is Ahvaz. The city with almost a million inhabitants is the capital of the Khuzestan district and at the same time one of the most polluted places on the planet.
Because this city is a major industrial center, its air is solid gray smog, which was formed due to smoke from the processing of metallurgical wastefactories and oil companies.
More recently, the city was buried in greenery and was famous for its architectural sights. But after they began to produce oil, and Ahvaz is the leader in its production in Iran, the city became gray, smoky and extremely dangerous for living.
The hot climate is another problem. Frequent sandstorms, lack of precipitation and high air temperatures exacerbate an already difficult situation. Residents are forced to wear respirators on their faces to protect their he alth at least a little. According to statistics, Ahvaz is considered the most polluted place in the world.
Exclusion zone
The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has become the largest in world history, which featured a nuclear explosion and brutal radiation. As a result of this disaster, there was a release of radiation, which was more than a hundred times higher than the amount of radioactive substances after the bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This man-made accident occurred in the spring of 1986 (more than 30 years ago), but its echoes still haunt nearby areas. Chernobyl, Pripyat, Kyiv and Chernihiv regions were the most affected.
At the moment, this is the dirtiest place in the world in terms of environmental parameters. Almost no one lives within a radius of 30 km, hence the name "exclusion zone". About 5000 cases of detection of a cancerous tumor in people who were close to the affected area were recorded. In addition, the media periodicallypublish photos of strange creatures allegedly found on the territory of Ukraine. Cases of mutation among humans, animals and even plants have become more frequent.
Fukushima (Japan)
A terrible disaster that turned the city into ruins and one of the most polluted places in the world occurred in March 2011. Then, 70 km from the island of Honshu, a strong earthquake began, which caused a huge tsunami. The wave covered the shores of Fukushima, flooding the lower floors and the territory of the nuclear power plant.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that the probability of cataclysms was foreseen during the construction of the nuclear power plant, the height of the dam (5.7 m) could not hold back a huge wave (15 - 17 m). And the diesel generators, which began their work as soon as the shocks occurred, failed under the pressure of the water. The power units stopped cooling, which provoked an increase in pressure in the reactors, which caused the explosions.
So happened one of the worst disasters in world history. Most of the surroundings near the nuclear power plant turned out to be contaminated. Radiation has been found everywhere: in milk, in water, in most foods, in the ground and in the air.
About 50,000 people had to be evacuated. And it will take Japan at least 30 years to fix this problem.
Electronic Graveyard
The list of the 10 dirtiest places in the world includes Agbogbloshie (the Republic of Ganna in West Africa). It is difficult to call a city what today looks more like a huge dump.
From all over the world, damaged electronics are brought here- smartphones, monitors, laptops, TVs and other electronic gadgets. Due to this uncontrolled process, a very large amount of harmful substances enters the air and soil.
Birds practically do not fly over the city, and there is no landscaping inside, only one solid garbage. By burning in scrap metal, you can find copper or aluminum, which can then be sold. Therefore, bonfires burn endlessly here. Which also adds toxic substances to the air.
City residents suffer from headaches, sleep disturbance and nausea. And the average standard of living is 35 - 50 years.
Argentina problem
In Argentina, on the territory of 14 municipalities and the country's capital, the 60-kilometer Riachuelo River flows. It has not only a dirty brown color, but also a terrible smell that spreads to all nearby areas. Residents of houses cannot open windows, as the stench from the river immediately fills the apartment.
There is a huge amount of harmful substances in the reservoir: copper, lead, chromium, zinc, arsenic, etc. Moreover, pollution has been actively conducted since the 16th century. However, the peak came in the 19th century, when factories were built here. So heavy metals and acids in the form of waste began to be dumped into the Riachuelo basin.
According to activists of the Blacksmith Institute, this river is one of the ten dirtiest places on the planet. And it will take at least 25 to 30 years to clean it up.
The Trouble of Russia
In our country, not everything is so smooth with the environment in some cities. Especially it concernsDzerzhinsk, which even got into the Guinness Book of Records as the dirtiest - according to chemical standards - city in the world.
The ecological situation here is really very difficult. After all, Dzerzhinsk has long been the most important center of the chemical industry in the country. Plants, factories and other industrial enterprises were built on its territory. During their active work, dozens of landfills were organized where chemical waste was buried. One such polygon is Black Hole Lake.
It has a high concentration of toxic substances (phenol and dioxin) in its water. They say that if a he althy person comes close to the lake, he can simply lose consciousness. Phenol and dioxin cause various diseases in the kidneys, eyes, lungs, including cancer.
As a result, about 300 thousand tons of chemical waste accumulated outside the city. The average life expectancy here is 40 - 45 years. And the mortality rate exceeds the birth rate by more than 2 times. Therefore, Dzerzhinsk is considered a very dirty place on the planet.
Metallurgical plant in Norilsk
Norilsk can be safely included in this list, as it is also seriously poisoned by chemicals. The sad fame spread far beyond its borders. The amount of toxic substances released into the atmosphere made this city almost the leader in the list of the dirtiest places on the planet.
Metallurgical plant is engaged in the extraction of precious and non-ferrous metals, which has caused such severe air pollution. On the cityacid rains fall, and the concentration of sulfur compounds, the volume of carbon dioxide and nitrogen exceed the norm several times. As a result, the appalling figures in the reports of the Ministry of He alth.
And again Russia
Lake Karachay is already the third place in Russia, which is considered the dirtiest not only here, but also on the entire planet. And all because nearby is the Mayak association, which dumps waste from the production of components for nuclear weapons into the water and is engaged in the disposal of nuclear fuel.
One hour is enough for a man to die if he is by the lake. The number of patients with leukemia has increased 40 times. Cases of cancer and birth defects have also increased.
Indonesian "paradise"
The island of Java, where the Citarum (Chitarum) River is considered the main source of fresh water, can no longer boast of this freshwater beauty, since the water is no longer visible there. Tons of garbage float on its surface, filling everything around with a stench.
And the fault is the huge number of industrial enterprises built along the coast. And it is already unknown for what reason practically none of them has treatment facilities. All waste is disposed of in the river. All the muck from the sewer drains merges here. And now 300 km of this fetid slurry serve as the only source of water for drinking, cooking, bathing, washing, etc.
There is absolutely no flora or fauna in the water. No birds, no fish, no plants. Residents have adaptedcatch some items that you can then sell or keep. But they also water their rice fields with this water. And since the norm of harmful impurities is exceeded dozens of times, accordingly, the percentage of people with serious diseases is also steadily growing. All this makes the Citarum River and the island of Java one of the most polluted places on the planet.
Madness in China
China is a leader in many aspects of the world. But this time, according to the World Bank, he outdid himself. It turned out that 16 of the 20 dirtiest cities in the world belong to China. And the main record holder in this list is Linfen. This is one of the dirtiest places on the planet.
Formerly the city of fresh fruits and flowers, it is now considered the dirtiest place on the planet. Now it's "hell on earth" where it is said that if you need to punish a criminal, send him to permanent residence in Linfen.
Due to the work of the coal mines, the city is constantly shrouded in heavy smog. And residents do not remove respirators even at home. Everything is shrouded in soot: bed, linen, clothes. Lead and heavy impurities of other toxic substances are in the air. People are dying in droves. And cancer has become completely commonplace.