Toxic Pollution Sources List Highlights Public Health Challenges For Developing World (PHOTOS)

What are the worst sources of pollution facing the world? A report released this week by Blacksmith Institute sheds light on major causes of toxic pollution and the challenges facing the world's low and moderate-income countries.

The report, entitled "The World's Worst Toxic Pollution Problems Report 2011," also addresses the health impacts on people who live near sources of toxic pollution. Measuring the "the sum of life years lost and years lived with disability," the report found that individuals near polluted sites discussed in the report could lose "an average of 12.7 years to death or disability," according to a press release.

In their report, Blacksmith Institute explains that in lower and moderate-income countries outside of North America and Western Europe, "pollution hotspots are poorly documented, and sometimes are completely unknown to local and national governments." With their report and field work, they hope to raise awareness about some of the gravest pollution threats in the world.

The report also found that a majority of toxic pollution sites cannot be blamed on multinational corporations. Rather, it is "poorly regulated, locally owned small and medium-scale operations" that are the most egregious polluters.

Blacksmith's report is their sixth annual study addressing toxic industrial pollution around the world. Since 2007, Blacksmith's reports have been a joint effort with Green Cross Switzerland.

A different report, from the United Nations Development Program, recently declared that the world's rich countries have "consistently failed to meet their stated pledges" of fighting "the impact of climate change in developing countries."

Be sure to check out this list from earlier this year of the most polluted cities in the world. Last month, researchers from the University of Ottawa found that living in heavily polluted areas can increase lung cancer risk by up to 20 percent.

List and statistics courtesy of Blacksmith Institute. For more information and to read the full report, visit worstpolluted.org.

Comments

[WESmith]

04:16 PM on 11/13/2011

The worst polluters are gasoline-powered vehicle drivers. We were warned 40 years ago that they were bad for the environment and our economy, yet we persist. We spill thousands of barrels of oil, gasoline, diesel and anifreeze on our roads, highways, streets and parking lots each year. Fortunately, most of this sludge is washed into the environment by rain. Be careful under a light rain. The roads are slick with petroleum products. Oh and half of our roads are made of the same stuff we don't want pumped through pipelines for fear that they might leak and defy the laws of physics and travel downward to aquifers.

[raanghaus]

01:40 PM on 11/13/2011

i know a few with really bad breath who can be added to this list...

[alistair11]

10:00 AM on 11/12/2011

Some of the worst sources of pollution in the world? How about the White House, The U.S. Congress, Hollywood, Fox News, and the Huffington Post.

[jonnyquest]

10:30 AM on 12/28/2011

Your computer.

[highplainsbubba]

07:36 PM on 11/11/2011

The US should be asking these countries to cough up some money for us. These countries are always askng the US for money for its role in "global warming".

[eyeforeye42]

04:46 PM on 11/11/2011

The Bush family is big into the gold mining. Any wonder why W killed provisions for new environmental requirements cyanide leach internment ponds. Also killed legislation regarding drinking water and arsenic limits. Too costly he said. Glad I don't live in the south west where it is a problem.

[June25]

06:18 PM on 11/12/2011

And just how many people in Albuquerque have any signs of arsenic poisoning anyway?Do you think you know more about the water then the people who live there.

[Genders]

11:27 PM on 11/12/2011

Wow, you didn't search it, did you?

search Albuquerqu­e arsenic poisoning

[Sixtracks]

04:26 PM on 11/11/2011

And this is why the USA cannot compete with these regions that allow for such environmental destruction. We need a new GLOBAL standard of acceptable toxicity in order to even the playing field.

[Genders]

11:26 PM on 11/12/2011

FF, we need tariffs on pollution and workers rights issues.