The World’s Most Polluted Cities
October 3rd, 2006 Posted in Cheap Asia Travel, Destination reports, General, International living/working
This will probably not surprise anyone who has been to China, but an article out yesterday in the Wall Street Journal noted that “of the 25 most polluted cities in the world, 16 are in China.” As anyone who has hacked and coughed their way through India’s cities knows, it’s not a whole lot better there. Delhi is actually listed as THE most polluted city in the world, with Calcutta following #2 Cairo. The scores were determined by measuring the air for sulfur dioxide (Chongquing, pictured here scored the worst on that) and nitrogen dioxide (Beijing is the “winner” on that.) The two were combined for the total score.
So next time you read some article about the rapid growth in China and India and how they’re going to be the dominant powers some day, know that they’ve got some serious cleaning up to do first. And if you’re considering a move overseas to one of these places for work, you might want to pack a gas mask.
For the record, the only other city outside of China and India making the list, besides Cairo, was Jakarta.
6 Responses to “The World’s Most Polluted Cities”
By Soham on Nov 19, 2006
That world bank data is based on 1995-2001 data.
http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/2964/worldbankmostpollutedgv1.gif
Things have slightly improved for Delhi and Kolkata since then. Other Indian cities have overtaken the two cities.
By oberto on Jun 28, 2007
have you a list of the top 100 most polluted cities..where would Singapore fit in compared to Jakarta,
thanks.
hope you can provide this info.
By Roberto on Aug 13, 2007
Well, I’ve heard a lot about emerging powers like India and China facing enormous environmental problems, which is acurate. However, blaiming the new emerging economies only doesn’t erase the responsability of the so called “developed” countries, who still pollute more than those two countries that count, alltoghether, with 40 % of the population f the world, being the developed countries a minority in comparisson. Fist of all, the developed contries were the first to spread and impose the ideals and models of development that are at the very basis of the enviromnental crisis.
P.D.: When going to the U.S.A., don’t forget the mask you bought when you went to India.
By tim on Aug 14, 2007
I agree that developed countries are to blame as well, but by and large they have brought air pollution levels down dramatically over the past few decades, while the Asian countries have increased theirs exponentially. I’ve seen reports that some 40 percent of the smog on the west coast of the U.S. has blown over from Asia. (Not just China’s mess, but also the forest fires deliberately set in Indonesia and Malaysia.) So ironically, the mask you bring back from Asia may be needed in L.A., but because of smog from the same place you just visited.
The developed countries built up their infrastructure more slowly and were more careful about the outcomes. No city in the U.S. has EVER been as polluted as the current chart-topping ones in China and India. The life expectancy of a traffic cop in Bejing is 45. China, until the last couple of years, just plain hasn’t cared about the environmental impact of anything. Growth at all costs. Now here we are…
By Godofredo Arauzo on Jan 27, 2008
POLLUTION TO THE OROYA CITY
The years 2006 and 2007 the Blacksmith Institute have accomplished a research about the cities more contaminated to the world and arrived to the conclusion that the Oroya City was between the 10 cities more polluted of the world: Blacksmith Institute have be benevolent; according to my researchs to many years that I am publishing, the Oroya is the more polluted to Peru, Latin America and of the world and every day is being more polluted: lead in blood in children in the Ancient Oroya in average 53.7 ug/dl ( DIGESA 1999); pregnancies women 39.49 ig/dl ( UNES 2000), new borns children 19.06 ug/dl, puerperal 319 ug/100 grams/placenta ( Castro 2003) and workers 50 ig/dl ( Doe Run 2003). Top lead in blood accepted 10 ug/dl; present day is 0 ug/dl ( Pediatric of Academy to USA)
When the Oroya city was in hands to the CentroMin eliminated only by the upper chimney to 167.500 meters, in average by day in tons: sulfur dioxide 1000, lead 2500, arsenic 2500, cadmium, particulate matter 50 and so on, more 24,000 to toxis gas product to the incomplete combustion of the coal, without count it is eliminated by industrial incinerator y by the 97 smalls chimneys, it is estimated 15,000 (PAMA . El Complejo Metalúrgico de la Oroya, 1996); they add 45,000 tons by day,
Doe Run envoy every three months the concentrations of the heavy metals to the Ministry to the Energy and Mines and with the sames datums Ceverstav have demostrated the pollution was increased; for example the sulfur dioxide it have increased in near to 300 %, by increment to the production (Cederstav. La Oroya no Espera 2002)
The American Assotiation to the Environment say that the environmental quality to the Oroya it is serius deteriorated since that Doe Run was owner and the same enterprise declared that the concentrations of the heavy metals gas it is ncreased in the air: lead 1160 %, cadmium 1990 % and arsenic 6006 % (Portugal, et al. Los Humos de Doe Run 2003)
By Godofredo Arauzo on Feb 12, 2008
POLLUTION TO THE OROYA CITY
The years 2006 and 2007 the Blacksmith Institute have accomplished a research about the cities more contaminated to the world and arrived to the conclusion that the Oroya City was between the 10 cities more polluted of the world: Blacksmith Institute have be benevolent; according to my researchs to many years that I am publishing, the Oroya is the more polluted to Peru, Latin America and of the world and every day is being more polluted: lead in blood in children in the Ancient Oroya in average 53.7 ug/dl ( DIGESA 1999); pregnancies women 39.49 ig/dl ( UNES 2000), new borns children 19.06 ug/dl, puerperal 319 ug/100 grams/placenta ( Castro 2003) and workers 50 ig/dl ( Doe Run 2003). Top lead in blood accepted 10 ug/dl; present day is 0 ug/dl ( Pediatric of Academy to USA)
When the Oroya city was in hands to the CentroMin eliminated only by the upper chimney to 167.500 meters, in average by day in tons: sulfur dioxide 1000, lead 2500, arsenic 2500, cadmium, particulate matter 50 and so on, more 24,000 to toxis gas product to the incomplete combustion of the coal, without count it is eliminated by industrial incinerator y by the 97 smalls chimneys, it is estimated 15,000 (PAMA . El Complejo Metalúrgico de la Oroya, 1996); they add 45,000 tons by day,
Doe Run envoy every three months the concentrations of the heavy metals to the Ministry to the Energy and Mines and with the sames datums Ceverstav have demostrated the pollution was increased; for example the sulfur dioxide it have increased in near to 300 %, by increment to the production (Cederstav. La Oroya no Espera 2002
The American Assotiation to the Environment say that the environmental quality to the Oroya it is serius deteriorated since that Doe Run was owner and the same enterprise
declared that the concentrations of the heavy metals gas it is ncreased in the air: lead 1160 %, cadmium 1990 % and arsenic 6006 % (Portugal, et al. Los Humos de Doe Run 2003)