29 Most Toxic Places On Earth

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Niger Delta, Nigeria

Source: https://s3.reutersmedia.net/

The delta of the Niger River sits directly on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean and is located within the coastal states in Nigeria. The Niger Delta, also called Oil Rivers, is a densely populated region that’s also rich in petroleum. However, from the two million barrels of oil extracted daily in the Niger Delta, there have been over 7,000 recorded oil spills in 30 years, polluting creeks, fishing grounds, mangroves, and swamps. Annually, over 240,000 barrels of crude oil are spilled in the river’s delta, and these oil spills do not only contaminate the soil and groundwater but also locally grown crops. Hydrocarbons in crude oils have damaging effects on the environment as well as on the agricultural and aquatic communities, leading to a drastic increase in malnutrition among local children. Furthermore, significant quantities of natural gas extracted from oil wells are immediately burned, releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.