One problem that all of us equally come across on a daily basis is pollution. In today’s modern world, we are collectively starting to realise the fact that we are actually the cause of the problem, but we also have to act in order to resolve the problem too.
Pollution occurs in many forms, for example:
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Air pollution most commonly occurs by the release of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from vehicles and heavy industry due to the burning of fossil fuels is increasing the rate of global warming at a rapid rate;
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Water pollution occurs by commercial and industrial waste discharge into rivers, streams and oceans;
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Land pollution collectively describes the process of soil pollution caused by chemicals leaking or spilled over/under the ground, and landfill sites;
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Radioactive pollution happens when nuclear weapons of mass destruction are used, and by nuclear power plants having a meltdown (Chernobyl in the Ukraine and more recently Fukushima in Japan spring to mind).
As a result of these problems, some cities around the world are considered to be some of the dirtiest and most polluted places to live and work in. If you are considering moving or working somewhere, you should probably avoid these 10 cities:
Baku, Azerbaijan (Oil Pollution)
The city of Baku is situated by the Caspian Sea and is a major producer of oil in the region. It is home to the world’s first offshore oil platform in the world; Neft Daşları (the “Oil Rocks”).
Norilsk, Russia (Air Pollution)
Norilsk was originally founded as a 1920s Siberian slave labour camp, and today is an industrial city which has one of the biggest nickel deposits in the world. This city alone contributes 1% of the world’s sulphur dioxide emissions.
Dhaka, Bangladesh (Water Pollution)
The surface water in Dhaka is often contaminated with disease and pesticides from commercial premises and industrial factories.
Chernobyl, Ukraine (Nuclear Pollution)
Chernobyl is home to the world’s worst nuclear power plant disaster of 1986 and has caused countless deaths, and ongoing issues in local people such as cancer and deformities.
Antananarivo, Madagascar (Deforestation, Water Pollution)
Antananarivo in Madagascar suffers from a big deforestation problem (mostly related to illegal logging), soil erosion and subsequently water pollution.
Beijing, China (Air Pollution)
Beijing is perhaps best known as one of the world’s most polluted cities, and in fact 16 of the 20 most-polluted cities around the world are in China.
Delhi, India (Air Pollution)
Another major Asian city that suffers from air pollution is Delhi in India. It is caused mainly by carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles and industry.
Dzerzhinsk, Russia (Water Pollution)
The small city of Dzerzhinsk in Russia is a major chemical producing area and has one of the world’s most contaminated water systems thanks to the illegal dumping of toxic waste.
Tianying, China (Water and Land Pollution)
More than half of China’s lead production comes from the city of Tianying, and as such many people experience lead poisoning due to a lack of official pollution controls.
Cairo, Egypt (Air Pollution)
There is a permanent smog that hangs around the atmosphere in Cairo, and this is due to sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and dust particle emissions being released into the air but getting trapped due to the dense makeup of tall buildings and narrow streets causing pollutants to be trapped.
With thanks to Jayne Simmons from http://www.idealcleaning.co.uk for this post.
