The twelve most polluted rivers in the world

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Ganga

India's most sacred river and the world's third largest is home to nearly two billion people, yet it is heavily polluted by the discharge of raw sewage and chemicals. The river is routinely covered in plastic and other waste, and frequent outbreaks of water-borne diseases are reported.

Citarum

One of the most polluted rivers in the world, with waste from over two thousand factories being discharged into it. The river is located on the island of Java in Indonesia and has high levels of mercury in its water. The river is polluted along its entire length.

Yellow River

China's Yellow River is famous around the world for its distinctive color. Unfortunately, it has become a dumping ground for chemical factories, making the water toxic even for agricultural purposes.

Sarno

This is the most polluted river in Europe, found in Italy. Industrial and agricultural waste has made the river toxic. There is an alarming increase in liver cancer in the area around the river.

Buriganga

This river flows through the capital of Bangladesh and is a source of life for millions of people. The river is most polluted by numerous tanneries and dead animals and human waste are commonly found floating in the water. In recent years, the water in the river has turned black and life has disappeared.

Marilao

The Philippine river is home to millions of people who use the water for drinking and irrigation. The river is polluted by numerous tanneries and landfills. A layer of non-recyclable plastic materials floats on the surface, and heavy metals are also present in the water.

Mississippi

One of the longest rivers in the world located in the USA serves millions of people. Due to the constant release of waste into the river, the water has turned brown. Due to the oil spill, the life in the river has decreased dramatically. The main pollutants here are benzene, arsenic and mercury.

Jordan

Jordan's largest river is clean from its source, but its toxicity is increasing due to the dumping of a lot of waste. Much of the pollution comes from the country's refugee crisis, coupled with population growth.

Matanza-Riachuelo

The most polluted river in South America is located in Argentina, and millions of tons of wastewater are discharged into its waters every day.

Jamuna

It is the second most polluted river in India after the Ganges. The main reason for the pollution is the mismanagement of raw sewage by the Indian government.

Yangtze

Rapid industrialization in China has led to river pollution and algae growth through eutrophication.

Nil

The most common diseases in Egypt include bacterial diarrhea, typhoid fever, and schistosomiasis. All diseases are linked to contaminated river water and poor sanitation. In addition, industrial wastewater is discharged into the river in Lower Egypt.

Source:Seasmartschool