CHEMICAL COCKTAIL TURNS OLD FACTORIES INTO DEATH ZONES
The most toxic places in the world are contaminated with everything from heavy metals to chemicals from chemical weapons. Untreated waste water and gases from heavy industry reduce life expectancy and cause disease and death among millions of people.
Lead-acid batteries contaminate entire town
According to the UN, the people of Haina have the highest level of lead-acid contamination in the world. The lead comes from an abandoned factory, where lead-acid batteries were remelted. 90+ % still have too much lead in their blood.
SOLUTION:
As the soil was so badly contaminated, the environmental authorities have removed major quantities of it for treatment in separate facilities.
TOXICITY LEVEL Factories make river bank uninhabitable
15,000 industrial facilities discharge waste water full of heavy metals, solvents, and more, into the Matanza river. The 20,000 people who live close to the river bank endure conditions that are unfit for humans.
SOLUTION:
The local government has demanded plans for eco-friendly production from local companies and built a toxin collection station.
TOXICITY LEVEL Cable burning spreads heavy metals
In Ghana's capital, Accra, there is a vast area, in which cables are burned to get to the copper. The burning causes heavy metals to rise into the air, and the lead level of the air is 40 times the safety limit.
SOLUTION:
New recycling plants in Agbogbloshie can use machines to separate the plastic insulation from the metal, avoiding the toxic burning.
TOXICITY LEVEL
Cold War chemicals reduce life expectancy
It's the world's most contaminated city. During the Cold War, neurotoxins and chemicals were made in Dzerzhinsk. 300,000 t of abandoned toxin have reduced life expectancy to 45 years.
SOLUTION:
In 2011, the citizens began to collect, decontaminate, and burn waste, converting the material into electricity.
TOXICITY LEVEL Coal dust kills people in Linfen
Hundreds of coal-fired power stations and iron foundries fill the air with hazardous coal dust and heavy metals. Some 3 million people are estimated to suffer from bronchitis, lung cancer, and arsenic poisoning.
SOLUTION:
Scientists are using chelation, by which acids bind to toxic metals in the ground, resulting in new chemicals, which are easier to treat.
TOXICITY LEVEL The river is red, and the snow is black
Millions of tonnes of nickel and sulphur dioxide are discharged annually in Norilsk, where the Daldykan river run red, and the snow falls black. Blood diseases and nervous disorders are common here.
SOLUTION:
President Vladimir Putin has threatened fines and been promised major investments in new filtration plants by the city's nickel smelters.
TOXICITY LEVEL Vital river is full of waste and lead
Industrial discharge and domestic waste increase the lead level of the Citarum river to 1,000 times the recommended drinking water standard. The river is responsible for 80% of Jakarta's water supply.
SOLUTION:
A recycling company is collecting plastic waste, mixing it with dried aquatic plants and glue to manufacture bricks.
TOXICITY LEVEL