The worst polluted place on earth?

Stretching into the distance, lies an artificial lake filled with a black, barely-liquid, toxic sludge.Dozens of pipes line the shore, churning out a torrent of thick, black, chemical waste from the refineries that surround the lake. The smell of sulphur and the roar of the pipes invades my senses. It feels like hell on Earth.

 

You may not have heard of Baotou (Inner Mongolia), but the mines and factories here help to keep our modern lives ticking. It is one of the world’s biggest suppliers of “rare earth” minerals. These elements can be found in everything from magnets in wind turbines and electric car motors, to the electronic guts of smartphones and flatscreen TVs

Even before getting to the toxic lake, the environmental impact the rare earth industry has had on the city is painfully clear. At times it’s impossible to tell where the vast structure of the Baogang refineries complex ends and the city begins. The air is filled with a constant, ambient, smell of sulphur.

The refinement of rare earth minerals, like that done in this factory, can cause toxic byproducts. 

Simply put, as thirst for technology lust increases, land and air pollutions from this heinous processes will continue to increase.

Unfortunately, many people all over the world do not know the processes involved for smart phones and TVs manufacturing are dangerously killing planet earth making Baotou one of the most polluted places in the world. (excerpt from 'The worst place on earth' by Tim Maughan)