The dirtiest river in the world is the Citarum. The muddiest river in the world

Swimming in these places can be very dangerous because the purity of the water leaves much to be desired. Swimming in them poses a risk of contracting disease, stench, and sometimes even death. Places like the Indian Ganges or Lake Karachay are famous all over the world for their levels of pollution. However, there are places on Earth where human contact with water does not contribute to health. Here is a list of the dirtiest rivers in the world. Find out where not to swim.

1. Kitarum, Java island:

On the island of Java in Indonesia flows the most dirty river in the world - Citarum, 300 km long, on the banks of which there are more than 500 factories that dump industrial waste into it. This makes the Citarum the most polluted river in the world. There are places where, due to garbage, you can’t even see the surface of the water, and instead of fish you can only catch a plastic bottle. In addition, diving into the dark waters of this river poses a serious threat to human health, but people continue to swim here.

2.Great North American Lakes, USA

The lakes on the border between Canada and the United States - Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario - are among the most polluted bodies of water on the American continent. Chemical plants, oil refineries, are to blame for everything. metallurgical plants and chemical fertilizers. Toxins from a variety of sources make these lakes a toxic soup that the governments of the United States and Canada have been trying to combat for years.

3. Yangtze River, China

This is the longest river in Asia and the third after the Amazon and the Nile, with a length of 6300 km. The Yangtze ranks first in the WWF ranking of the 10 dirtiest rivers in the world because more than 17,000 Chinese cities do not have treatment facilities and all waste migrates along the river. For cities such as Shanghai, Wuhan and Nanjing, this river is the only source of water, so its condition is among the most big problems China.

4.Onondaga Lake, USA

Located near Syracuse, New York, Onondaga Lake is so polluted that it has been designated an extremely hazardous site in the United States. Phosphates, nitrates, mercury and extremely dangerous bacteria clearly indicate the development of industry in the region. Swimming in Wastewater ah can be fatal.

5.King River, Tasmania

King River in Tasmania is the dirtiest river in Australia. Here the cause is coal mines. Until 1995, millions of tons of waste fell directly into the river, and smoke from factory chimneys caused acid rain. Currently the situation has not improved much - the river is still toxic because the waste from the mines is at the bottom of the river.

6. Lake Tai, China

The shores of Lake Tai in eastern China have been “occupied” by over 3 thousand factories. The third largest reservoir of the Middle Kingdom is also one of the most polluted. Several billion dollars have already been spent to save Lake Tay, where industrial waste and sewage sludge must be removed. In addition, the entire surface of the lake is covered with a thick layer of algae, which impedes the access of oxygen, and thus leads to the extinction of the fish living in it. By the way, there are tent rentals nearby, you can throw a party or just relax.

7.Yellow River, China

The Yellow River (Yellow River) is the second largest river in China - its length is 5464 km in length, and the yellow color of the river's water comes from loess deposits. But now the color has turned brown, and sometimes even red - all because chemical substances emanating from nearby factories. Due to frequent changes in flow and the installation of new dams, not many sections of the river dry up, and rapidly developing cities increase the level of water pollution. This in turn is a huge problem because it is the only source of water for millions of Chinese.

8.Lake Victoria, Kenya / Tanzania / Uganda

Three countries have access to the lake, and so there is a dispute over who should take care of it. There are several rules for residents and guests of Lake Victoria, but no one adheres to them - cars are washed here, sewage is drained, but they also swim and fish here. And everything is so serious that contact with this water can lead to cholera, diarrhea and severe skin diseases.

9. Sarno River, Italy

The Sarno River in central Italy is the most polluted river in Italy, and probably also in Europe. Chemical fertilizers from the fields, as well as city wastewater, regularly poison the Sarno, and measures taken to protect the river are insufficient. The Sarno often spills, which further contributes to the pollution of the land along its course.

10.Mississippi, USA

The Mississippi River flows through 10 US states and is the mother of all American rivers. It is also an extremely toxic wastewater that brings in millions of cubic meters of germs, toxins and waste. The mouth of the Gulf of Mexico is a real "death zone" - not only because of pollution, but also because of the low oxygen concentration, for this reason there are no aquatic organisms here.

To answer all this, only one thing can be said: “What closer person to nature, the more terrible the consequences!!!”

Technological progress does not spare nature. People are too accustomed to a comfortable existence and rarely think about the harm that is constantly being caused to our common house. Every second, tens of tons of garbage are thrown out around the world, industry poisons the environment with harmful waste, and plastic and other artificial materials find even more wide application. The surrounding nature is especially clearly seen in the example of rivers. Historically, settlements were founded near them, they were used as shipping canals and springs drinking water. Despite their importance in human life, there are many examples of barbaric attitudes towards rivers. This rating presents dirtiest rivers in the world.

10. King (Tasmania, Australia)

The fate of this river changed with the opening of the Copper Mine on its banks in the first half of the 19th century. During this time from the largest source fresh water in Tasmania it has turned into a real swamp and for this reason is among the ten dirtiest rivers in the world. Moreover, almost all animals die from contact with its yellow water. There is nothing royal left in the river; today the old name sounds like a mockery of nature. Every year the Copper Mine poisons the river with sulfides in huge quantities. Approximately half a million tons of waste end up there with rain, which often falls due to the large amount of harmful substances. In total, over 100 million tons of sulfides entered the river, as well as a large number of other dangerous compounds.

9. Sarno (Italy)

Human activity has led to this river being called the dirtiest in Europe. This happened due to the fault of agricultural enterprises. Dozens of such facilities constantly release waste containing various harmful substances into it. Even the fact that the river flows into the Bay of Naples does not stop them. It is one of the most visited places in Italy and its poisoning could harm thousands of tourists. Hundreds of organizations are fighting for the cleanliness of the Sarno River, and the authorities are making serious efforts to resolve this situation.

8. Marilao (Philippines)

In previous cases, pollution was caused by industrial activities. There are also about a hundred factories located near the Marilao River that poison it. Due to the large number of different sources of pollution, hundreds of tons of substances from the entire periodic table enter the water every year. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the local population actually uses the river instead of a trash can. All waste is simply dumped near the banks of the river.

7. Yellow River, “Yellow River” (China)

This river is one of the largest in the world and serves as a source of drinking water for much of northern China. Despite this, many enterprises and settlements constantly poison it. The level of pollution of the Yellow River is quite high, which allows us to consider it one of the dirtiest rivers in the world. Heavy metals, waste oil industry and other harmful substances are found in it in such large quantities that this water is not suitable for some production facilities. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the river constantly contains impurities from the erosion of local soils. Because of them, the water has a yellow color. Count of people getting poisoned drinking water from this river, goes to thousands.

6. Mississippi (United States of America)

America occupies one of the leading places in terms of development and is a fully formed state. But at the same time ecological situation in it, in some places it is more similar to the situation in quickly developing countries. The Mississippi River provides a clear illustration of this. The amount of municipal, industrial and agricultural waste in it is so great that “dead zones” have formed in some places. Water from them cannot be used in any way, even for industrial needs. Not to mention swimming, fishing or drinking it. Dozens of organizations are fighting to protect the river from pollution, but this does not bring visible results. Therefore, the Mississippi ranks 6th in the ranking of the dirtiest rivers on the planet.

5. Yangtze (China)

The Chinese are known for their disregard for the environment. The Yangtze River is a clear example this. The water in it usually has a dark gray color. But at times, due to emissions of hazardous waste, it takes on shades of almost any color, which locals are no longer surprised by. In 2012, the river temporarily turned blood red. The length of its channel is the longest among rivers throughout Eurasia. Therefore, about 20 thousand industrial facilities are located on the shore. Almost all of them dispose of waste using the river, without bothering to install filters or treatment facilities.

4. Jamna, “Yamuna” (India)

The Jumna is one of the dirtiest rivers in India. This is largely due to the fact that for most people living in the capital, it is the only way to get rid of waste. Many enterprises and factories are also doing their bit. The state is spending huge sums of money trying to clean up the river, but the large amount of harmful substances coming in greatly hinders this. Simply put, this river has turned into one big garbage dump for a huge city.

3. Buriganga (Bangladesh)

Water of an incomprehensible shade, from which a strong odor reeks from afar, heaps of plastic waste and the absence of signs of any living creatures nearby - this is what the Buriganga River looks like. This does not alarm the local population, who manage to wash and wash their things in such conditions. The river is officially declared dead because only protozoa can survive in it. I think that this is a good reason to place Buriganga on the 3rd place in the ranking of the dirtiest rivers in the world. Every year, dozens of tons of garbage are dumped into it, and the bottom is largely covered with a layer of dangerous and long-decomposing substances. Enormous amounts of pollution and a lack of understanding from industry and local residents are preventing authorities from correcting the problem.

2. Ganges (India)

If in other cases the local population tries to limit contact with contaminated water as much as possible, here they themselves get into it. This is due to the old superstition that swimming in this river gets rid of all diseases. If you look cynically at the result of contact with water, then you can say that this custom works one hundred percent today. Great amount pathogenic microbes, toxins and heavy metals can kill a person who momentarily plunges into the river. Official data says that every year about one and a half million people die from this “therapeutic” procedure. This statistics does not stop new applicants.

1. Citarum (Java Island)

The first, far from honorable place in the ranking belongs to the Citarum River, which means that it the dirtiest river in the world. Number various waste it is so large that in some places it becomes unclear whether there is water in it. From the outside, the river simply looks like a large stream of garbage, sluggishly moving in one direction. Such volumes of pollution arose due to the large concentration of industrial facilities on its shore. There are about five hundred textile, plastic and other plants and factories per 300 kilometers of riverbed.

It is also worth noting that there are many more than a dozen heavily polluted rivers on our planet. For example, the Matanza River flows through the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. Its waters contain high concentrations of toluene and other harmful chemicals. This river is officially recognized as the site of an environmental disaster. The sacred Jordan River, located in Israel, is one of the dirtiest rivers in the world. Swimming in it is prohibited by the country's Ministry of Health. This is because the river water is used by many enterprises, including agricultural ones, and therefore it contains a high content of toxic waste hazardous to human health.

The dirtiest river in the world | Video

Gone are the days when swimming in rivers and lakes was safe and enjoyable. We are increasingly peering into the water - are there any chemical stains there, is there something strange floating by?

Swimming in such bodies of water means, at a minimum, a bad smell, dirt, and even the risk of contracting unusual diseases, even death.

And places such as Lake Karachay or the Indian Ganges are generally world leaders in their pollution. Unfortunately, this list is constantly expanding. About the most dirty waters about the world we will talk about below.

Citarum. The Indonesian island of Java has the dirtiest river in the world. Its length is only 300 kilometers, but on its banks there are more than 500 factories, many of which are textile. They all dump their waste into Citarum. There are simply no garbage collection points here, just like toilets in modern form. But just 20 years ago it was a pristine river that served the people living on its banks. The citarum provided food for numerous canals that irrigated the surrounding fields, people fished here, and there was food for birds. Water was even taken for domestic needs. Today, due to waste emissions from nine million people and hundreds of factories, there are places on the river where the surface is not visible at all. There can be no talk of fish - now only plastic bottles. Although immersion in muddy waters Citarum and dangerous to human health, people still swim here. Fishermen began to catch rubbish from the water, this is more profitable than the previous fishery. Garbage collectors earn $1-2 a day, but this carries the risk of illness. Dirty water goes into rice fields where it soaks into the soil. But the river is still a source of water for drinking and domestic needs. The decline was a result of the rapid growth of industry in the region in the 1980s. The negative effect will continue, because Citarum is one of the largest rivers feeding Lake Saguling. The French built there largest hydroelectric power station in West Java. Experts believe that there will soon be so much garbage that the river’s full flow will decrease. As a result, the hydroelectric generator will no longer produce full power, which will lead to a lack of electricity for factories. Maybe this will at least allow the river to start breathing again.

Great North American Lakes. On the border between Canada and the United States there are huge lakes - Michigan, Erie, Huron, Superior and Ontario. But today they are quite dirty bodies of water, ahead of all others on the continent. Initially the lakes are natural wealth, there is not only a lot of fresh water, but also rich animal world. But man has not been able to protect the Great Lakes from typical environmental problems. The situation in them has deteriorated sharply due to the surrounding chemical plants, metallurgy, and oil refinery terminals. These industrial facilities supply the lakes with toxins, making the waters a veritable toxic soup. The struggle of the governments of the USA and Canada for the cleanliness of the lakes has so far been unsuccessful. The largest freshwater lake on the planet by area, Verkhneye, has already changed its temperature regime. This leads to changes in wind directions and currents, which will change the appearance of a unique natural object.

Yangtze. The Chinese river is the third longest in the world after the Nile and the Amazon and the longest in Asia with 6,300 kilometers. But in the WWF ranking it firmly ranks first, only according to such a controversial criterion as the dirtiest river in the world. The fact is that 17 thousand Chinese cities on the banks of the Yangtze do not have a purification system. That is why all waste is dumped into a giant river. But for the country's largest metropolitan areas - Shanghai, Wuhan and Nanjing - the Yangtze is the only source of water. That is why the state of this river for China itself is actual problem. About 500 million people live on the banks of the river; it contains 40% of the country's total water reserves. The authorities themselves say that the water quality is generally good. But the volume of polluted water in the Yangtze is 34 billion tons. But according to officials, this is small relative to the trillion tons of annual runoff. And every year this figure increases by 2 percent. On the banks of the river there are 400 thousand chemical plants, 5 large steel complexes and 7 oil refineries. In addition, about 300 thousand tons of dangerous goods such as oil, liquid gas, fuel oil, and gasoline are transported along the river every day.

Lake Onondaga. This American lake is located in New York state, near Syracuse. In the United States itself, a natural reservoir is designated as an extremely dangerous place. But in late XIX centuries, many resorts were built along the coastline. But the industrial revolution and the growth of cities led to the massive discharge of dirty water here, which led to the degradation of the lake. Today, nitrates, phosphates, mercury and dangerous bacteria are present in abundance here. In 1901, authorities banned the collection of summer from Onondaga, and in 1940 they banned swimming here. In 1970, mercury pollution led to a fishing ban. The law adopted in 1973 did not help either clean water and the closure of major industrial polluters in 1986, as well as the installation of treatment systems. Only in our time, fish and birds are gradually returning to the lake and the content of chemicals in the water has decreased. But complete victory is still far away.

King River. This river is the dirtiest in Tasmania. And the reason for this phenomenon was a copper mine that began working at the end of the 19th century near Queenstown. For decades, millions of tons of waste were dumped into the water, and smoke from the pipes caused acid rain in the area. This water also flowed into the King River. Before 1995, about 1.5 million tons of sulfides were discharged into the river annually. Even the closure of the mine did not change the situation much - after all, heavy waste is located at the very bottom of the King River. In total, people dumped about one hundred million tons of waste into the river.

Yellow River. The famous Chinese Yellow River is the second largest in the country with an indicator of 5464 kilometers. Yellow its water is associated with sediments. But today the color of the water has already turned brown, and in some places red. It's all because of the chemicals that neighboring factories dump into the river. The constant installation of dams and changes in the flow of the Yellow River leads to its drying out in some sections. And rapidly growing Chinese cities are only making the situation worse. In 2008, a report was officially published saying that severe pollution had rendered a third of the river completely unsuitable for agricultural or industrial use. Every year, 4.3 billion tons of waste are dumped into the Yellow River, with industry accounting for 70% and households accounting for 23%. This is twice as much as was dumped into the river in the 80s and exceeds the river’s ability to restore its balance on its own. Even the economic damage from such pollution has been calculated - up to 15 billion yuan annually. The water of the Yellow River is actively used by agriculture, which takes up to 90% of all water used. As a result, the health of farmers is at risk, and additional money has to be spent on filtration.

Lake Victoria. Three countries have access to this unique body of water - Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. As a result, there are disputes about who should take care of the lake. The reservoir found itself without an owner, and although there are rules for local residents and guests, no one follows them. Someone washes their car here, and neighboring settlements and businesses secretly discharge wastewater. And this despite the fact that people swim and fish in the lake. Meanwhile, the situation with water pollution is already so serious that contact with it can cause cholera, diarrhea and severe skin diseases. Algae is rapidly multiplying in the lake, and about half of the fish population has already disappeared.

Sarno River. Many call this river in central Italy not only the dirtiest in the country, but also in Europe in general. The Sarno passes through Pompeii and carries its waters into the Gulf of Naples. Chemical fertilizers from fields and city wastewater come here. The measures taken by the authorities are not yielding results. But the waters of Sarno are still used for irrigation. In addition, the river often floods, which further aggravates the environmental situation in the surrounding lands.

Mississippi. Main river North America flows through 10 American states. Initially, the river valley, covered with a thick layer of silty sediments, was a very fertile place. Only three hundred years have passed since the Europeans came here. Now the biggest water artery continent is being poisoned by human activity. Until recently, the river purified its own waters, but industrial runoff and agricultural activity have significantly undermined the health of the Mississippi. Today the river carries toxic wastewater, containing millions of cubic meters of waste and harmful bacteria. Chlorine-containing hydrocarbons enter the river from the atmosphere. Oxides of sulfur, nitrogen and carbon, as well as industrial waste, household chemical products, and pesticides are abundantly present in the waters of the Mississippi. Once there, they settle to the bottom, mix with silt, becoming part of the fish’s diet. It is no coincidence that in many places fishing it is generally prohibited here. Below Minneapolis, the waters of the “Big Muddy” - Missouri - also flow into the Mississippi. In the lower reaches, petrochemical plants cause harm to the river. As a result, in Louisiana you can see huge oil spills on the river. In the last big city on Mississippi, New Orleans, in the 70-80s there was a jump oncological diseases. Drinking raw water here is strictly not recommended. And the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico generally appears to be a real “death zone.” Not only is this where all the garbage ends up, but because of it there is also a low oxygen concentration. This makes it impossible for aquatic organisms to live here.

Karachay. In the twentieth century, a new type of pollution appeared - radioactive. A classic example of such inhumane treatment of nature is Lake Karachay in Chelyabinsk region, Russia. Since 1948, the Mayak plant began operating on the banks of the reservoir, which processed waste radioactive materials. Since 1951, this facility began to be used for storing waste liquid waste not on the Techa River, as before, but on Lake Karachay. Currently, about 120 million curies of radioactive materials such as cesium and strontium have accumulated there. Over time, it was decided to fill the lake completely, which was started in 1986, but was never completed. Today the coast of Karachay is almost the most dangerous place in the world. It is believed that an hour's stay here can kill a person. True, filling up the lake will not completely eliminate the problem, because the groundwater will continue to become contaminated.

Ganges. The main Indian river is the third largest in the world. Since ancient times, it has been considered sacred for Hindus; pilgrimages are made to it, but at the same time, cremations and ritual ablutions are performed on the banks of the Ganges. Today the river is considered one of the dirtiest rivers in the world. But the health and lives of more than 500 million people living in its basin depend on the waters of the Ganges. Starting from the very upper reaches, the river becomes dirty due to overpopulated cities and wastewater from numerous enterprises. In addition, the Ganges also overflows seasonally, collecting all the sewage and waste of human activity. Even swimming in the river, not to mention drinking, provokes various infectious diseases. For example, a site near the city of Varanasi contains 120 times more fecal enterobacteria than allowed. It's not actually a river, but a brown court of excrement and runoff. In this sacred place the dead are cremated, and many of the dead are simply thrown into the river. Every year, 1.5-3 million people, mostly children, die from just swimming in the Ganges and subsequent diseases. Government plans for wastewater treatment plants have failed. It’s good that the river has a long-known self-purification ability, simply preventing dangerous bacteria from multiplying above a certain level.

Now it’s hard to believe, but once upon a time the most polluted rivers in the world were clean, people swam in them, fished in them, and even drank water from them. But now the situation has changed dramatically.

Once clean rivers have turned into landfills. And although it is dangerous for people to swim in such rivers, those living on them not only perform ablutions, but also use their water as drinking water.

Observing such a picture, you understand that humanity is one step away from a water crisis and something needs to be done about it.

Citarum River, Indonesia

The river is located in West Java, Indonesia. This is the dirtiest river in the world. However, water is used for water supply, to support agriculture, for industrial purposes, etc.

The Citarum River is not very big. The width is only 10 m maximum, the depth is even less - 5 m, but its length reaches 300 km. It originates in Indonesia, stretches along the entire western Java, and also flows near the capital Jakarta. The river flows into the Java Sea.