Published on 09/16/2007

A list of the world's most polluted places has been published by a US-based independent environmental group.

The Blacksmith Institute's top 10 towns and cities included sites in ex-Soviet republics, Russia, China and India. Peru and Zambia were also listed.

Ten Most Polluted Places

A list of the world's most polluted places has been published by a US-based independent environmental group.

The Blacksmith Institute's top 10 towns and cities included sites in ex-Soviet republics, Russia, China and India. Peru and Zambia were also listed.

The report said an estimated 12 million people were affected by the severe pollution, which was mainly caused by chemical, metal and mining industries.

Chronic illness and premature deaths were listed as possible side-effects.

The annual review, which debuted in 2006, is listed alphabetically, and the sites are unranked "given the wide range of location sizes, populations and pollution dynamics".

WORST POLLUTED

Sumgayit, Azerbaijan; Potentially 275,000 affected

Linfen, China; Potentially 3m affected

Tianying, China; Potentially 140,000 affected

Sukinda, India; Potentially 2.6m affected

Vapi, India; Potentially 71,000 affected

La Oroya, Peru; Potentially 35,000 affected

Dzerzhinsk, Russia; Potentially 300,000 affected

Norilsk, Russia; Potentially 134,000 affected

Chernobyl, Ukraine; Potentially 5.5m affected

Kabwe, Zambia; Potentially 255,000 affected

Data: Blacksmith Institute

Among the new sites listed in 2007 were Tianying in China, where potentially 140,000 people were at risk from lead poisoning from a massive lead production base there.
The report also said that in the Indian town of Sukinda there were 12 mines operating without environmental controls, leaching dangerous chemicals into water supplies.
Sumgayit in Azerbaijan was also included in the report, which said the former Soviet industrial base was polluting the area with industrial chemicals and heavy metals.