Industrial wasteland: 10 most polluted places in the world

Unchecked development, deforestation and rapid industrialisation is not only only increasing greenhouse gases, but is also making life unbearable for many around the globe.

Let's take a look at some of the most polluted places in the world.

Source: Blacksmith Institute

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Agbogbloshie

Country: Ghana

Major pollutant: Lead

Population affected: 40,000

Overall rank in pollution: 1

Agbogbloshie, a suburb of capital Accra, is one of the world's biggest dumping grounds for electronic waste. Thousands of workers, including children, everyday search with their bare hands the toxic waste for metals, which they then burn and dismantle to sell for about $6.

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Chernobyl

Country: Ukraine

Major pollutant: Radioactive dust, including uranium, plutonium, cesium-137, strontium-90, and other metals

Population affected: 10 million

Overall rank in pollution: 2

Chernobyl, which saw the biggest nuclear power plant disaster in the world in 1986, is still struggling with its effect 27 years after the incident.

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Citarum River

Country: Indonesia

Major pollutant: Numerous chemicals, including lead, cadmium, chromium and pesticides

Population affected: 500,000 people directly, up to 5 million people indirectly

Overall rank in pollution: 3

Citarum River, which provides 80 per cent of surface water to capital Jakarta, has one of the highest concentrations of pollutants in the world.

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Dzerzhinsk

Country: Russia

Major pollutant: Numerous chemicals and toxic byproducts from numerous chemical-manufacturing processes

Population affected: 300,000

Overall rank in pollution: 4

Dzerzhinsk, which is one of the biggest chemicals production centres in Russia, is struggling under immense increase in pollution.

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Hazaribagh

Country: Bangladesh

Major pollutant: Mainly chromium

Population affected: 160,000

Overall rank in pollution: 5

Hazaribagh, which is located in old part of capital Dhaka, has the country's largest leather processing zone.

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Kabwe

Country: Zambia

Major pollutant: Lead

Population affected: 300,000

Overall rank in pollution: 6

Kabwe, which was formerly known as Broken Hill, earns the dubious distinction of being one of the most polluted places in the world thanks to the mines that dot the region.

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Kalimantan

Country: Indonesia

Major pollutant: Primarily mercury, cadmium

Population affected: 225,000

Overall rank in pollution: 7

Kalimantan, a region in Indonesia that is divided into five provinces, has seen mercury rise to record level due to gold mining.

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Matanza-Riachuelo

Country: Argentina

Major pollutant: Volatile organic compounds, including toluene

Population affected: 20,000

Overall rank in pollution: 8

Matanza-Riachuelo, a river basin that is more than 60km long, is a hub of small-scale industries, including chemical manufacturers, that are killing the basin with industrial effluents.

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Niger River Delta

Country: Nigeria

Major pollutant: Petroleum

Population affected: There is currently disagreement among experts

Overall rank in pollution: 9

Niger River Delta, a region where more than 30 million people live, has the been left heavily polluted by oil companies exploring for black gold in the oil-rich region.

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Norilsk

Country: Russia

Major pollutant: Copper, nickel oxide, other heavy metals

Population affected: 135,000

Overall rank in pollution: 10

Norilsk, the northernmost city in the world, has been polluted so much by mineral mining that the surface soil now has high concentrations of platinum and palladium.