The Blacksmith Institute compiled the above list, which extends to 20 more sites in its “Dirty 30,” by comparing the toxicity of the contamination, the likelihood of it getting into humans and the number of people affected. Places were bumped up in rank if children were impacted. No U.S. or European sites made the list thanks to a mop-up of lingering human health hazards over the past several decades, but that trend does not absolve the developed world of all responsibility. “The nickel we use in our cars or elsewhere is likely to have come from Norilsk,” Fuller notes. “And some of the lead in our car batteries will have come from one of these places.”

This article was originally published with the title World's Top 10 Most Polluted Places.

3 Comments

1. 1. mefremov 01:59 AM 4/30/08

   the chernobyl cleanup will be masive but there is a german contractor....difficult access to some of the other sites....

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. Renee Kameah 06:20 PM 5/1/08

   Is there something to be understood from the fact that of the 10 sites mentioned, 6 of them are in (former) Communist countries?

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

3. 3. MoonTan in reply to Renee Kameah 08:26 AM 10/3/11

   nope, probably not very much when you consider that most of the polluting is done by capitalist companies...

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this