Chernobyl, Ukraine The world’s worst nuclear disaster took place on April 26, 1986.Dzerzhinsk, Russia A major Russian chemical manufacturing center, which produced Sarin and other deadly poisons during the cold war. Between 1930-1998, nearly 300,000 tons of chemical waste were improperly disposed of.Haina, Dominican Republic An urban area severely contaminated with lead from a now defunct automobile battery recycling plant.Kabwe, Zambia The country’s second largest city is severely contaminated with lead from the mining industry.La Oroya, Peru Lead, copper, zinc, and sulfur dioxide from mining have contaminative the town.Linfen, China Severe air and water pollution from the coal, steel, and tar industries.Maiuu Suu, Kyrgyzstan This former Soviet uranium plant town is saturated with radioactive uranium mine tailings.Norilsk, RussiaAn industrial city in Siberia founded in 1935 as a slave labor camp, Norilsk is home of the world’s largest heavy metals smelting complex and is plagued by severe air pollution. 9Ranipet, IndiaAbout 1,500,000 tons of tannery waste has accumulated in this town over the past two decades.Rudnaya Pristan/Dalnegorsk, Russia Severe lead contamination from an old smelter as well as the the unsafe transport of lead concentrate from the local lead mining site.
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