29 Most Toxic Places On Earth

Like & Follow Us On Facebook!

Kebasen, Indonesia

Source: https://pulitzercenter.org/

Indonesia is a geological wonderland known for its beaches, volcanoes, and Komodo dragons, but there is a town in the outskirts of Tegal where smoke billows from chimneys of battery smelters. The Garuda Jaya plant in Kebasen is one of three battery smelters operating without permits, safety precautions, or protective gears. There are no industrial scrubbers on the chimneys to purify exhaust steams and prevent, or at least minimize, hazardous gases and materials from entering the atmosphere. These battery recyclers and smelters are notorious for emitting high concentrations of lead and other harmful substances into the air. The threat continues from these metalworking factories that spew toxic smoke, carrying noxious particles that land on rice fields and neighboring villages. It’s no better inside the factories where workers are engulfed in smoke as they shovel lead-acid car batteries into the fire, exposing them directly to emitted lead dioxide and sulfuric acid. The toxic fumes cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Lead exposure causes irreversible damage to developing brains and contributes to intellectual disabilities and behavioral concerns in children.