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The search for the most polluted places in the world in 2008 is in full review.

The Blacksmith Institute along with Green Cross Switzerland have announced the Winners of The World's Worst Pollution Problems for 2008! The criteria used to judge and decide the winners is based on: 1. the size of the population affected by the pollution 2. the pathways the toxins infect an area 3. direct evidence that the toxins exist in the area and the levels are severely elevated creating extremely dangerous results for inhabitants and on the physical environment of an area ...such as levels of cancer, lead poisoning, birth defects and life expectancy rates.

The Blacksmith Institute Panel and review board is reviewing entries for the worst polluted regions and areas of the world by placing them in the following categories:

1 "Artisanal Gold Mining
2 Contaminated Surface Water
3 Groundwater Contamination
4 Indoor Air Pollution
5 Metals Smelting and Processing
6 Industrial Mining Activities
7 Radioactive Waste and Uranium Mining
8 Untreated Sewage
9 Urban Air Quality

10 Used Lead Acid Battery Recycling...."

And the winners from 2007 were, in alphabetical order:

Sumgayit, AZERBAIJAN - This city was a Soviet headquarters for over 40 factories that manufactured agricultural chemicals, synthetic rubber, detergents, pesticides and more. The waste from these industrial plants in the air, soil and water has left one of the 'highest morbidity rates' in the world from neglect to contain and remove toxic by-products, such as mercury.

Linfen, CHINA - This region of China is the heart of their coal mining industry, where people are said 'to choke on the coal dust in the air'. The water in this region is "the worst in all of China" and the may be also, as carbon dioxide levels are off the scale.

Tianying, CHINA - This is one of China's largest Lead mining and productions regions. The people of this area suffer from lead poisoning at alarming levels. The air, the soil and the water all test at extremely unacceptable levels for lead and other heavy metals. Birth defects in this regions are at an all time high.

Sukinda, INDIA - The Sukinda Valley, "contains 97% of India's chromite ore deposits and one of the largest open cast chromite ore mines in the world. Twelve mines continue to operate without any environmental management plans and over 30 million tons of waste rock are spread over the surrounding areas and the Brahmani riverbanks" (Blacksmith Institute Report). The untreated water laced with heavy metal

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