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Top 10 Most Polluted Places in the World
Below are the most populated in the world, and they are polluted for a variety of reasons, including industrial activity, mining, burning coal, and agricultural production…
The world is sufferings from an acute environmental crisis. This is caused mainly by industrialization and an ever-growing population. These two factors have resulted in an increase in pollution levels around the world.
While some places are more polluted than others, the problem is truly global in scope. The world is facing an environmental crisis. Air pollution, water pollution, and climate change are just some of the issues we are dealing with today. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” This sentiment has never been more true than it is today.
Sadly, there are still many places in the world that are struggling to deal with environmental pollution.
Here is a list of the ten most polluted places in the world, according to the World Health Organization.
1. Delhi, India
Delhi was the most polluted of the 107 capital cities in the world according to the 2021 World Air Quality Report. For the fourth year in a row, the city stands at the top of the list.
According to a study by the Health Effects Institute’s (HEI) State of Global Air Initiative, Delhi remained the world’s most polluted city in terms of yearly average population-weighted PM2.5 concentrations.
It has the greatest average concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5) among the others, according to statistics. The city reports an annual exposure of 110 g/m3 of micrograms.
Why is Delhi the most polluted city in the world?
India frequently burns its crops, particularly in the wintertime in the rice fields close to Delhi. During the crop-burning season, smoke is to blame for up to 45% of the city’s pollution.
2. Linfen, China
Linfen, according to China’s State Environmental Protection Agency, has the country’s worst air quality, which is noteworthy given that 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are Chinese cities, according to World Bank research.
According to the Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), Linfen has the worst air quality in the nation. China’s massive and rapidly growing coal sector, which supplies approximately two-thirds of the country’s energy, is centered in Shanxi Province. Linfen has been described as one of the most polluting cities in this area, with locals complaining that they practically suffocate on coal dust at night.
Why is Linfen so polluted?
Coal, coke, steel, and power are the main businesses of Linfen, and as a result, there are significant amounts of industrial pollutants. A few kilometers from the city’s urban area are a number of industrial factories.
3. Ahmadabad, India
When it comes to dust and pollen-related pollution in India, Ahmedabad stands in third place. Every day, almost 19 lakh Amdavadis drive themselves to work. In Ahmedabad, the main sources of pollution are automobiles, smoking, dust, and pollen.
The busy Raikhad neighborhood in Ahmedabad had the highest AQI, at 377. Compared to Chandkheda in Ahmedabad, Noida in the National Capital Region (NCR) region performed slightly better.
4. Lahore, Pakistan
The title of most polluted city in the world belongs to Lahore. Lahore is at the top of the list when it comes to air pollution, according to data from the US Air Quality Index.
Lahore, the second-largest city in Pakistan, has once again topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities, leaving officials scurrying to address the environmental issue.
Why is Lahore polluted?
The burning of agricultural leftovers and other waste products, industrial emissions from vehicles, brick kiln smoke, construction site dust, and crop residue all contribute to the air pollution of Lahore. Large-scale tree removal for the construction of new roads and buildings is another contributing element to air pollution.
5. Karachi, Pakistan
Karachi has emerged as the fifth most polluted city in the world as its air quality index has soared to an unhealthy level of 193, demonstrating the federal and Sindh governments’ complete disregard for environmental reforms.
Why is Karachi so polluted?
The government and environmental organizations do not appear to be taking the matter seriously or quickly enough. Rickshaws and buses, in particular, industrial emissions, open burning of waste, residential fires, and other particulates all contribute to the air pollution in Karachi.
6. Quetta, Pakistan
One of the world’s most polluted places is Quetta. Drought conditions worsened last year as a result of less rain, while air pollution grew as a result of the city’s expanding population and rising road traffic.
In addition to dust, Quetta’s residents are also negatively impacted by noise, smoke from old cars, stone/rock-crushing factories, and brick kilns as a result of the city’s expanding population. About 30 crushing facilities are thought to exist in Quetta.
In Pakistan, and particularly in Punjab, transportation is thought to be responsible for 43% of the country’s haze, followed by industry (25%), and agricultural (20%). The burning of industrial and municipal waste, particularly in brick kilns, burning of rubber and tires, low fuel quality, weak transport engines, industrial pollution, and mobile oil are major contributing factors. Oil and coal-fired power stations also contribute.
Why is Quetta so polluted?
Emissions from cars, industries, power stations, and other industrial facilities, as well as crop burning
7. Gaborone, Botswana
Although Gaborone is one of the fastest-growing towns in Africa, the city’s main sources of pollution are unclean second-hand cars and veldt fires brought on by the dry winters.
The most polluted city in Botswana is Gaborone, which is ranked seventh on this list.
Why is Gaborone polluted?
Although Gaborone is one of the fastest-growing towns in Africa, the city’s main sources of pollution are unclean second-hand cars and veldt fires brought on by the dry winters.
8. Baoding, China
It is possible to see through the smog in Baoding, China, which is the most polluted city in the nation. It might make your mouth taste bitter and burn your eyes. This is the everyday reality of living in a toxic veil.
Why is Baoding so polluted?
The majority of the pollution in Baoding, according to early findings of an analysis conducted across Hebei, is caused by coal-fired steam boiler systems utilized in more than 100 provincial villages close to the city. These boilers produce a lot of pollution.
9. Zabol, Iran
According to the Globe Health Organization (WHO), an Iranian city has the worst air quality in the entire world. the city of Zabol in Iran’s unrest-ridden Sistan-Baluchistan Province, close to the Afghan border, where months-long dust storms occur in the summer, has the worst air in the world.
Why is Zabol so polluted?
The air in this region is extremely polluted due to the massive amount of dust that covers the entire area. Because of its location, Zabol is vulnerable to low-pressure systems, which cause sand and dust storms. The region of Southeast Asia known as Sistan is the source of these storms.
10. Norilsk, Russia
The far-northern city of Norilsk has the worst air pollution in the region, with the Krasnoyarsk region having the highest air pollution levels nationwide.
Because of one company, Norilsk Nickel, which is the world’s largest producer of palladium and high-grade nickel and a top producer of platinum, cobalt, and copper, the 176,000-person city has long been acknowledged by environmentalists and even by the Russian government as one of the most polluted places on Earth.
Why is Norilsk so polluted?
Rivers fed by glaciers are now red from their effluent. The worst sulfur dioxide pollution in the entire globe is emitted from its smokestacks. A damaged tank also ruptured last year, spilling 6.5 million gallons of diesel fuel into Kara Sea-flowing waters.
Conclusion
There are many polluted places in the world, but some are more polluted than others. These places are polluted for a variety of reasons, including industrial activity, mining, burning coal, and agricultural production. Below is a highlight of the top 10 most polluted places in the world:
- Delhi, India
- Linfen, China
- Ahmadabad, India
- Lahore, Pakistan
- Karachi, Pakistan
- Quetta, Pakistan
- Gaborone, Botswana
- Baoding, China
- Zabol, Iran
- Norilsk, Russia
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