7 of the Most Toxic Places to Live
September 20th, 2009 | 
Author: We all want a home that’s safe and comfortable for our families. When choosing a place to call home, it’s important to consider the pollution levels of cities you’re considering. In fact, did you know that there are several places in the world that are so toxic due to pollution levels that it is recommended that no people live there – even though they do. Here are seven places that you shouldn’t consider living.
1. Citarum River, West Java, Indonesia – This river is the most polluted in the world, yet many people live near the river and rely on its water for drinking and cooking. It is full of trash, chemicals and human waste. Disease in this area is rampant. The pollution is due to the 9 million people who rely on this river and many factories located near it.
2. Chernobyl, Ukraine - Chernobyl is the town in northern Ukraine home to the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, the worst nuclear power plant accident in history. It was once the home of over 14,000 people, but today the town is uninhabited due to the unsafe radioactive contamination that still exists.
3. Linfen, China – This town is the worst in the world for air pollution. The town is located in the center of China’s coal belt, home to many factories that burn coal and also home to lots of traffic.
4. Rondônia, Brazil -Rondônia is a state in northwest Brazil which today is one of the most deforested regions of the Amazon rain forest. Brazil is home to more than 25% of the world’s tropical forests – at least before thousands of acres were burned to create cattle ranches.
5. Delhi, India - Yamuna River - The Yamuna is the largest tributary of the Ganges River. In Delhi, 58% of the city’s waste is dumped straight into the river, even though millions of people rely on the river for their water source for waste disposal, washing and even drinking and cooking. It is also home to much pesticide and fertilizer run off.
6. La Oroya, Peru - La Oroya is a mining town in the Andes. It is covered with soot from the mining industry. Ninety-nine percent of the children here have high blood levels of lead, indicating a severe risk of lead poisoning.
7. Lake Karachay, Russia - According to a report by the Worldwatch Institute on nuclear waste, Karachay is the most polluted spot on Earth. The Soviet Union used this area as a nuclear dumpoing site for years. The radiation level is so high that you can receive a lethal does in just one hour. Today, the lake is entirely covered by concrete.
It’s amazing to consider that there are places in the world that are so dangerous. What’s even more amazing is that people actually live in many of the places listed above. It certainly proves that we have created a poison in our world by allowing such places to get out of hand. Which part of the world will be next on the list?
Phyllis Zerkle is a freelance blogger and covers topics such as how to become a certified nurse assistant online,
how to progress in a medical career, and more.
