Top 5 Most Polluted Areas in the 2020s

Top 5 Most Polluted Areas in the 2020s

---The Top 5 Most Polluted Areas in the 2020s

Vapi, India
Industrial waste management remains a serious problem in Vapi, with lead, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium being the major contaminants. According to a survey, the concentration of hexavalent chromium in groundwater exceeds the permissible standard (0.05 mg/L) by up to 50 times. As a result, the incidence of lung cancer, kidney disease, dermatitis, and neurological disorders among residents is more than three times the national average, and skin and respiratory diseases are also increasing rapidly.

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Chelyabinsk, Russia
Radioactive contamination in Chelyabinsk remains severe, with residues of cesium-137 and strontium-90 in the soil and groundwater. Residents are exposed to radiation doses of 1.5 to 2.0 millisieverts (mSv) per year, exceeding international standards. As a result, the risk of developing radiation-related diseases such as thyroid cancer, leukemia, and osteosarcoma has more than doubled.

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La Oroya, Peru
In La Oroya, lead and arsenic emissions from a smelter owned by the U.S. company Doe Run continue. Children's blood lead levels have reached an average of 40 µg/dL, far exceeding the WHO safety standard (5 µg/dL). As a result, 90% of children suffer from developmental disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), chronic kidney disease, learning disabilities, and even severe neurological disorders due to lead poisoning.

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kabwe, zambia.
Lead contamination in Kabwe remains severe, with soil lead levels reaching 100,000 ppm. Residents' blood lead levels average 65 µg/dL. Children in particular suffer from impaired brain function, developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and even intellectual disabilities due to lead poisoning, and kidney failure and arrhythmias are also increasing among residents.

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Chitalum River, Indonesia
The Chitalum River is one of the most polluted rivers in the world and wastewater from the textile industry is a serious problem. The lead concentration in the river water exceeds the WHO safety standard (0.01 mg/L) by 300 times, and the cadmium concentration also exceeds the standard by more than 100 times. This has caused a high incidence of digestive cancers, kidney diseases, skin cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases among local residents, and has also had a serious impact on agriculture and the food chain.