According to online commentary website 24/7 Wall St, Beijing in China and New Delhi in India tie in joint first position as the cities in the world with the worse air pollution.
The results, which were compiled using various worldwide studies on air quality, revealed that both Beijing and New Delhi had hazardous amounts of chemicals and toxic pollutants in the air that could cause residents to suffer from serious respiratory issues.
Expat residents in any of the top ten polluted cities are being subjected to Sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide and toxic particulates on a daily basis.
The Top Ten Cities in the World for Air Pollution
- Beijing, China (tie): Beijing is recorded as having the highest levels of sulphur dioxide in the world between 2000 and 2005. Residents living in this Chinese city also run the risk of serious respiratory illness from high levels of nitrogen dioxide.
- New Delhi, India (tie): Two in five of every New Delhi resident suffers from some type of respiratory illness caused by high concentrations of particulates. People working in the construction industry or as taxi drivers have the highest chance of an early death according to the report.
- Santiago, Chile: Santiago’s airbourne particulate matter exceeds the recommended level of 50 micrograms per cubic meter by a whopping 400 micrograms on the worst polluted days.
- Mexico City, Mexico: Mexico City’s sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide levels are dangerously high and the city has the highest level of ground-level ozone in the world according to the 24/7 Wall St report.
- Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: Residents of Ulaanbaatar are likely to suffer from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as a result of high levels of particulate matter.
- Cairo, Egypt: Cairo has the second highest levels of particulates in the air after New Delhi. The air quality in this city is worsened by the dense cloud of smoke that is created as a result of seasonal rice burning activities.
- Chongqing, China: Studies reveal that 2.6% of children below the age of 14 suffer from asthma as a result of the high levels of air pollution in the city.
- Guangzhou, China: The levels of suspended particulates in this Chinese city rival those of Beijing and the majority of residents of the city reportedly suffer from respiratory illnesses and dizziness.
- Hong Kong, China: Hong Kong’s air pollution index recently reached 500, the worse possible level. Pollution from China is frequently blamed for Hong Kong’s poor air quality.
- Kabul, Afghanistan: The war in Afghanistan and the overcrowded city has led to increasingly high levels of dangerous particulates in the air.
For full and comprehensive details of the findings see the 24/7 Wall Street Site: http://247wallst.com/2010/11/29/the-worlds-ten-big-cities-running-out-of-air/
Read the full article: http://247wallst.com/2010/11/29/the-worlds-ten-big-cities-running-out-of-air/
