Pollution has become quite a problem in today’s world, and many people tend to ignore the signs that we all have a problem to deal with. Thankfully, some countries are a bit cleaner and tend to take care of everything, including their waste. However, there are plenty of locations on Earth that tend to care very little, so they often let their pollution rise immensely. Humans still live in these areas, despite the fact that some could kill you for spending too much time there. Here are seven of the most polluted places on Earth.
7. La Oroya, Peru
La Oroya, Peru is a recent addition to the most polluted places on Earth. The small town is the home of a metal smelter, and nearly every single local child in the area is suffering from lead poisoning and respiratorty problems thanks to that.
6. Norilsk, Russia
6. Norilsk, Russia
Norilsk, Russia has an even bigger smelting complex on the premises, which is actually the largest in the entire world. Pollution here is so horrible that the average life expectancy for someone is 10 years less than anywhere else in Russia.
5. Citarum River, Indonesia
5. Citarum River, Indonesia
Citarum River, Indonesia, one of the most polluted rivers in the entire world, has over 5 million people residing along the basin. They rely on the river as their primary source of water, despite the tons of garbage floating in it.
4. Riachuelo Basin, Argentina
4. Riachuelo Basin, Argentina
The Riachuelo Basin, Argentina, is synonymous with pollution. The banks are lined with over 4,000 factories, 42 garbage dumps, and 13 slums. This is a horrible combination, as health and life expectancy has dropped considerably.
3. Lake Karachay, Russia
3. Lake Karachay, Russia
Lake Karachay, Russia, has been used by the Soviet Union to dump nuclear waste for years now. The lake has several times the allowed pollutant, and 1 hour of exposure is said to be fatal to everyone.
2. Chernobyl, Ukraine
2. Chernobyl, Ukraine
Chernobyl, Ukraine, following the Chernobyl Disaster, remains one of the most polluted places on the entire planet thanks to the nuclear reactor being set off. It is the most uninhabited place in the world due to radiation and fallout.
1. North Pacific Gyre
1. North Pacific Gyre
There is a trash island that is twice the size of Texas floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean somewhere. The North Pacific Gyre is actually an extensive area in the North Pacific where trash, toxins, plastics, and chemical sludge combine.
