1. Agbogbloshie Dumpsite, Ghana. Electronic waste processing activities in the region threaten as many as 250,000 people with toxic pollution exposure.
2. Chernobyl, Ukraine. A 1986 nuclear meltdown was responsible for an estimated 4,000 cases of thyroid cancer. Radioactive contamination can still be detected around the plant.
3. Citarum River Basin, Indonesia. Contaminated from both industrial and domestic sources, lead levels have been measured at 1,000 times US EPA drinking water standards. The river basin comes into contact with nine million people.
4. Dzerzhinsk, Russia. Chemical manufacturing has caused severe contamination of local air and water, reducing the life expectancy of the city’s 245,000 inhabitants to less than 50 years.
5. Hazaribagh, Bangladesh. The Hazarigagh sub-district is home to 185,000 people and more than 200 tanneries. Air and water pollution stemming from tanning activities and dumping of toxic waste can cause cancer as well as skin and respiratory diseases.
6. Kawbe, Zambia. Lead mining and smelting operations in Kawbe release heavy metals into the air, which then accumulate on the ground. Children who play on the ground, as well as men who engage in artisanal mining, are particularly at risk for potentially fatal blood lead levels.
7. Kalimantan, Indonesia. Artisanal small-scale gold mining provides an income to 43,000 people in the region. Because smelting often occurs within the home, mercury used in the gold extraction process threatens both miners and their families.
8. Matanza-Riachuelo, Argentina. An estimated 15,000 industries, including chemical manufacturers, are releasing effluents into the Matanza-Riachuelo River Basin. The river runs through densely populated areas, including Buenos Aires, and roughly 20,000 people live near the river basin on land deemed unsuitable for human habitation.
9. Niger River Delta, Nigeria. Extending over 70,000 square kilometers, the Niger River Delta has suffered thousands of oil spills that have severely polluted the soil, air, and groundwater. Contamination to agriculture also has severe implications for local food security.
10. Norilsk, Russia. Heavy metal mining and smelting releases several dangerous pollutants into the air here, including roughly two million tons of sulfur dioxide each year, endangering an estimated 130,000 local residents.
More information: http://www.earthisland.org/journal/
