29 Most Toxic Places On Earth

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Citarum River, Indonesia

Source: http://www.sewonartspace.org/

The Citarum River is the largest and longest river in West Java, Indonesia, but it is also known as one of the world’s most polluted rivers. Five million people depend on it for water and fish supply, but it is heavily polluted by industrial and domestic activities. The river has a range of contaminants and high concentrations of cadmium, chromium, and manganese. Textile factories from surrounding districts are major contributors to untreated waste, contaminating the river with arsenic, dye, lead, mercury, and other toxins. Rice farms also discharge organic compounds and pesticides into the water. The riverbanks and the surface of the water are polluted by massive piles of plastic, rubber, and other waste products. With lax environmental regulations and a poor waste-disposal structure, residents have turned the river into a dumpsite of toxic chemicals. Consumption of these chemicals is fatal for marine life, and exposure causes skin infections, kidney failures, circulatory problems, and cancers among residents.