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Cuba is at a solid 28% pollution percentage

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Morocco is sitting at a 40.6% avg

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Guatemala surprisingly has good air quality

with the lowest I found at a 6% A.P. percentage

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As of nov24th this country has an air quality level of unhealthy

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papa new guinea

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somoa

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qkasjk

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on of the worst pollution

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With untreated sewage in the water and rubbish piled on the sand, pollution on Tripoli's Mediterranean coast is denying residents of the war-torn Libyan capital a much-needed escape.

The environment ministry last month ordered the closure of a number of beaches along the 30-kilometre (18-mile) Greater Tripoli coastline, despite the roasting summer heat.

"The situation is catastrophic," said Abdelbasset al-Miri, the ministry official in charge of monitoring the coast.

"We need quick solutions for this problem because it harms the environment just as much as it harms people."

Daily discharges of untreated sewage from the capital's two million population make this the most polluted section of the North African country's 1,770-kilometre coastline.

Cans, plastic bags and bottles plague the water and shore.

On one beach, near a large hotel, open-air rivulets channel untreated wastewater into the sea, where a few young men brave the contaminated waters in search of cool.

Libya's infrastructure has been devastated by a decade of conflict, state collapse and neglect since the 2011 overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed rebellion.

But Tripoli's only sewage works closed years before that, like many industrial facilities shuttered for lack of maintenance or funding.

As a result, all of Tripoli's wastewater goes directly into the Mediterranean.

"Huge amounts of sewage gets dumped in the sea every day," said Sara al-Naami of Tripoli city council.

Laboratory tests have found "a high concentration of bacteria, 500 percent more than normal," including E. Coli, at five sites along the capital's coastline, she added.

"We have raised the issue of pollution in Tripoli's seawater with the former and current governments, and emphasised the urgent need for a sanitation facility," Naami said.

But, she said, in the absence of such infrastructure, "temporary solutions" are needed such as settling tanks to filter wastewater before it reaches the sea.

A hard-won ceasefire last year led to a UN-backed government being installed several months ago, with elections set for December.

But day to day, Libyans continue to face power cuts, a liquidity crisis and biting inflation.

And for a country of seven million where leisure facilities are almost non-existent, swimming is a much-needed way to relax and cool down.

Some take to the water despite the risks.

But shop owner Walid al-Muldi doesn't want to risk getting sick.

"It's become worse over the years. During heatwaves, the smell gets disgusting," the 39-year-old said, sitting on a plastic seat a few paces from the shoreline.

"You have to go more than 100 kilometres east of Tripoli to find water that's a bit cleaner."

His friend, Mohammed al-Kabir, agreed.

Because of coronavirus restrictions and the unhealthy sea water, "Libyans live in a summer prison," he said.

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'Catastrophic' Pollution Plagues Libya Beaches

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With untreated sewage in the water and rubbish piled on the sand, pollution on Tripoli's Mediterranean coast is denying residents of the war-torn Libyan capital a much-needed escape. The environment ministry last month ordered the closure of a number of beaches along the 30-kilometre (18-mile) Greater Tripoli coastline, despite the roasting summer heat.

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Angola has really dirty air ): 76.29%

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File size:

56.2 MB (2.8 MB Compressed download)

Dimensions:

5433 x 3615 px | 46 x 30.6 cm | 18.1 x 12.1 inches | 300dpi

Date taken:

27 January 2011

More information:

This image could have imperfections as it's either historical or reportage.

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Angola Luanda Kilamba Kiaxi Municipality on outskirts Luanda 27 January 2011 Pollution and open sewage canals make Stock Photo - Alamy

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File size: 56.2 MB (2.8 MB Compressed download) Dimensions: 5433 x 3615 px | 46 x 30.6 cm | 18.1 x 12.1 inches | 300dpi Date taken: 27 January 2011 More information: This image could have imperfections as it's either historical or reportage.

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Jordan has fair air quality 49.75%

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MAP OF THE RIVER JORDAN

THE JERUSALEM POST NOV 6 2015

The polluted and trickling Jordan River might once again be "deep and wide" as well as clean by 2025, if the joint efforts of Israelis, Palestinians, and Jordanians bear fruit.

On the diplomatic stage, Palestinians and Israelis have not held direct peace talks since April 2014. But on Tuesday and Wednesday, activists and officials from both governments as well as from Jordan met at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea for the second time this year about water.

They unveiled the first, 35-year Regional NGO Master Plan for Sustainable Development in the Jordan Valley.

If it is implemented, pollution would stop flowing into the Jordan River within a decade, according to the plan's author, EcoPeace Middle East, which organized the two-day conference.

"Adopting these measures will help build confidence between the parties and improve the daily lives of Palestinians, Israelis, and Jordanians," Palestinian Authority Deputy Agriculture Minister Abdullah Lahlouh said at the event.

His sentiment was echoed by Israel's Deputy Regional Cooperation Minister Ayoub Kara (Likud).

"There is fertile ground here for cooperation," said Kara, adding that the program could build "bridges of peace." "This is one of the most important rivers for believers from all over the world," Kara said.

In biblical times the Jewish people ended its 40-year sojourn in the desert and entered the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan River. Centuries later Jesus was baptized in its flowing waters.

In the modern era, pollution and mismanagement have so damaged the river that some places are almost narrow enough for a person to jump across it.

"The Jordan River is so heavily degraded it has lost 95 percent of its historical flow over these last 50 years. It has been a dumping ground of waste, raw sewage, saline waters, and fishpond waste," said Gidon Bromberg, Israeli director of EcoPeace Middle East.

"An estimated 50% of the river's biodiversity has been lost and the river is in a terrible state," Bromberg said. "There is nothing holy about it today," he added.

The master plan calls for the introduction of 127 regional and national projects through 2050, at a cost of some $4.5 billion. It includes projects on the environment, pollution, water management, agriculture, and tourism.

The plan also includes a list of short-term projects over the next five years that would cost some $500 million and include cleaning up the Jordan River.

Part of the plan is a waste water treatment plant to stop the flow of sewage into the river from the Israeli and Jordanian sides. In 2013 Israel released some nine million cubic meters of fresh water into the river from Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) to help strengthen it, Bromberg said, adding that it plans to increase that amount in future years.

All the projects under immediate consideration would be built either within the Green Line, in Jordan, or in Palestinians areas of the Jordan Valley that are now under Israeli military and civil control. There are no projects planned for Israeli settlements or that would strengthen Israel's hold on the sections of the Jordan Valley that are over the Green Line. The Jordan Valley has 22 settlements that are home to some 5,000 Israelis.

The plan assumes that the Jordan Valley would eventually be part of a Palestinian state, even though there is much opposition in Israel to relinquishing the valley, which many believe is vital to the nation's security.

But there are many aspects of the project that can move forward without a diplomatic solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

HUMAN INTERVENTION - A sequence of photographs showing that at the source of the River Jordan the water is pure and unspoiled, but that as the river is used by humans for ceremonial bathing, diversion for agriculture and the dumping of waste, that we ruin natural resources. There should be an international law against diverting rivers and building islands in the middle of nowhere.

THE GUARDIAN 26 JULY 2010

Christian pilgrims should be banned from entering the river Jordan at the site where Jesus is believed to have been baptised because of dangerous levels of pollutants, Israel's ministry of health has said.

The site was closed to the public today to allow the river's water to be tested following preliminary results from recent samples which showed high levels of raw sewage and agricultural chemicals.

But the demand to close or limit access to the site is controversial because of an uncompleted $2m (£1.3m) refurbishment project aimed at attracting more pilgrims to what is the third most important Christian site in the Holy Land, after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem's Old City and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.

Around 100,000 people visit the site at Qasar al-Yahud, near Jericho, each year to be baptised in what they regard as holy water or to take away samples for baptisms at home.

Access to the site is only permitted with consent from the civil administration, the Israeli body set up by military decree to govern most of the West Bank.

The baptism site straddles the border with Jordan, and the western side is within a closed Israeli military zone.

Signs posted at the gated entrance to the site warn of pollution as well as land mines.

Visitors are accompanied by an armed escort along a road bordered by barbed wire through a desert landscape to the river.

Red and white tape was today barring access to the water, although visitors on the Jordanian side, a few metres across the river, were free to immerse themselves.

"We invested a lot of money in this site - it is going to be open, clean and convenient for all pilgrims," said Rafi Ben-Hur, of the tourism ministry. "I don't know with what authority the site was closed. I was very upset at this initiative. We will do everything to keep the site open. We believe it's safe to be baptised in this water."

The pollution of the river is largely a result of raw sewage coming from Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian sources, plus agricultural run-off - largely pesticides and fertilisers - and hormone-enriched effluent from fish farms, according to Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME).

"It's a very unholy mix," said FoEME's Israel director, Gidon Bromberg. "In the short term, the site should close to baptisms - the water is a risk to public health."

In the longer term, Bromberg said, the river's water needs to be rehabilitated. Currently, 98% of the water is diverted by Israel, Syria and Jordan, mainly for agricultural use, which means the pollutants are highly concentrated.

FoEME is concerned that Israel's fear of losing tourists and pilgrims to the Jordanian side of the site could lead to pressure to keep it open despite the risks. "If the ministry of health caves in, we will take them to court," said Bromberg.

A health ministry statement said: "This is a complicated issue which requires discussions at the highest levels. Until a final decision is made, there will be no change in the directives of the ministry."

At the near-deserted site today, Torhild Tollefsen, 36, from Stavanger in Norway, persuaded officials to allow entry to her and her fiancé to collect some of the green stagnant water to baptise their future children.

"It's much smaller than I imagined," she said. "We came to see the place where Jesus was baptised. It's a special place, but the colour of the river is a bit strange.

"It's sad. This is a sacred place for me and for Christians all over the world. It's important that the river is healthy."

The refurbishment of the site includes landscaping the area down to the river with stone and decking, wheelchair access and shaded areas to provide shelter from the blistering sun.

Among the items on sale in the newly-opened gift shop are T-shirts saying: "I was baptised in the Jordan river."

RED RIVER POLLUTION - DECEMBER 2014 - Many theories have already started to emerge on the social media that could explain the color of the water, including an algae invasion or even a divine intervention linked to the "plagues of Egypt", but the stench emanating from the water and the ten of thousand of dead fish accumulated on the shores suggest that it is more likely a chemical spill or other similar event that is at the origin of the phenomenon.

The magnitude of the disaster is already catastrophic, as the scarcity of the water resources in the region makes the Jordan River an issue of utmost strategic importance for the Jewish state and its neighbours. The Jordanian government has already decided to block the supply of water coming from Israel until the cause of the problem is clearly identified.

SOCIAL MISSIONS LEBANON - Field Report #32 Fnaidek - Every time the reporters asked about water in Wadi al Jamus, everybody said that the water was so polluted that it was almost unusable and they all pointed up the mountain. Annamaria Laurini, the UNICEF Representative, explained that the problem originated in the small village of Fnaidek up the mountain. She offered to took the team there and the next morning drove together to Fnaidek. On the way to the village, they crossed the infamous creek that feeds water to all the villages downstream and were presented with the horrible scenario above.

ABOUT THE RIVER JORDAN

The Jordan River is a 251-kilometre (156 mi)-long river in West Asia flowing to the Dead Sea. Israel and the West Bank border the river to the west, while the Golan Heights and Jordan lie to its east. Both Jordan and the West Bank take their names from the river.

The river has a major significance in Judaism and Christianity and, to a more moderate degree, Islam, as the site where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land and where Jesus of Nazareth was baptised by John the Baptist.

The Jordan has, geographically speaking, an upper course (from its sources to the Sea of Galilee) and a lower one (beyond the Sea of Galilee and down to the Dead Sea). For reasons of traditional terminology, the upper course (or most of it) is commonly referred to as passing through the "Hula Valley", and not the "upper Jordan Valley"; the Sea of Galilee through which the river passes is a separate entity; and the term Jordan Valley is reserved for the lower course. In this sense, the (actually in its entirety "lower") Jordan Valley may be separated into upper, central and lower Jordan Valley.

Over its upper course, the river drops rapidly in a 75-kilometre (47 mi) run to the once large and swampy Lake Hula, which is slightly above sea level. Exiting the now much diminished lake, it goes through an even steeper drop over the 25 kilometres (16 mi) down to the Sea of Galilee, which it enters at its northern end. The Jordan deposits much of the silt it is carrying within the lake, which it leaves again near its southern tip. The last, ca. 120-kilometre (75 mi)-long section, follows what is commonly termed the "Jordan Valley", which has less gradient (the total drop is of about 210 metres) so that the river meanders before entering the Dead Sea, a terminal lake about 422 metres below sea level with no outlet. Two major tributaries enter from the east during this last section: the Yarmouk River and Zarqa River.

Its section north of the Sea of Galilee (Arabic: Bohayrat Tabaraya, meaning Lake of Tiberias) is within the boundaries of Israel, and forms the western boundary of the Golan Heights. South of the lake, it forms the border between the Kingdom of Jordan (to the east) and Israel and The Palestinian territories (to the west).

RIVER POLLUTION

In 1964, Israel began operating a pumping station that diverts water from the Sea of Galilee to the National Water Carrier. Also in 1964, Jordan constructed a channel that diverted water from the Yarmouk River, another main tributary of the Jordan River to the East Ghor Canal. Syria has also built reservoirs that catch the Yarmouk's waters. Environmentalists blame Israel, Jordan and Syria for extensive damage to the Jordan River ecosystem.

A small section of the northernmost portion of the Lower Jordan, the first ca. 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) below the Sea of Galilee, has been kept pristine for baptism and local tourism. Most polluted is the 100-kilometre downstream stretch - a meandering stream from above the confluence with the Yarmouk to the Dead Sea. Environmentalists say the practice of letting sewage and brackish water flow into the river has almost destroyed its ecosystem. Rescuing the Jordan could take decades, according to environmentalists. In 2007, Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) named the Jordan River as one of the world's 100 most endangered ecological sites, due in part to lack of cooperation between Israel and neighboring Arab states. The same environmentalist organization had said in a report that the Jordan River could dry up by 2011 unless the decay is stopped. The flow rate of the Jordan River once was 1.3 billion cubic metres per year; as of 2010, just 20 to 30 million cubic metres per year flow into the Dead Sea. For comparison, the total amount of desalinated water produced by Israel by 2012 was estimated to be about 500 million cubic metres per year.

South of the small earthen Alumot dam, there is not much left of the world-renowned and once mighty Jordan River. Israel, Syria and Jordan have all diverted its upstream waters for domestic and agricultural uses, leaving precious little fresh water for the river and its once thriving ecosystem. Diversion of over 98 per cent of its fresh water, in addition to discharge of large quantities of untreated sewage, threatens to irreversibly damage the river and the whole Valley. With Israel, Syria and Jordan, each grabbing as much clean water as they can, it is ironically the sewage that is keeping the river alive today.

THE (GENERALLY ACCEPTED) TWELVE MOST POLLUTED RIVERS IN THE WORLD

Let us not forget that in the fight against ocean pollution, it is the pollution from rivers that is discharged into the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans that is potentially the most harmful is left unchecked. Hence, the most wanted list of river authorities who need to think hard on cleaning up their act as the starting point for cleaner oceans:

1. Citarum River, Indonesia - The Citarum River is known as the most polluted river in the world and is located in West Java, Indonesia.

2. Ganges River, India - The Ganges River is considered the most sacred river in India by the Hindus. It is the third largest river in the world and it is believed that its water can cleanse the sins of people.

3. Mantanza-Riachuelo River, Argentina -The river is located in the Buenos Aires Province of central-eastern Argentina and is more than 60 kms long. The river is also known as Slaughterhouse River.

4. Buriganga River, Bangladesh - Buriganga is also known as the Old Ganges in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries around the world and is right now suffering from every kind of pollution that exists.

5. Yamuna River, India - The river is crystal clear and blue near its source in the Himalayas but as the river flows down the water becomes extremely polluted with sewage, industrial garbage, agricultural run- off etc.

The 6. Jordan River, Israel - Jordan River originates from the Anti- Lebanon and Mount Hermon mountain ranges covers a distance of 223 km. The river has severely deteriorated especially the lower reaches of Jordan are full of untreated sewage and contaminated water flowing from agricultural lands.

7. Yellow River, China - The Yellow River of China is drying up fast due to expansion of factories, cities, agricultural farms etc. and whatever water is left is contaminated badly. The water is so toxic that it is not fit for agriculture.

8. Marilao River, Philippines - The Marilao River flows through the Bulacan Province Philippines and empties in Manila Bay. The main sources for polluting this river are tanneries, textile factories, piggeries, gold refineries and municipal dumps.

The Sarno River is one of the most polluted rivers in 9. Sarno River, Italy - Europe. It flows in southern Italy near Pompeii and Naples. In recent years many cases of liver cancer have been reported which shows the level of degradation of the river.

10. Mississippi River, USA - The Mississippi River in USA is also known as the 'Big Muddy' as the water of this river is usually brown because of pollution. Crude oil spills reported in the river which has made the water toxic and is poisonous to the marine life. The river is a sewer for farmers and industrialists making it one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

The Cuyahoga River flows through Cleveland, Ohio and is known for having caught 11. Cuyahoga River, USA - fire many times. The river is completely choked with oil, sludge, sewage and debris.

12. Pasig River, Philippines - The Pasig river is a 27 km long river in Philippines which passes from west of Laguna de Bay and moves downstream to east of Manila Bay. This river is termed biologically dead.

RIVER CEREMONY - At the aarti ceremony, the clouds of smoke transform into small balls of fire and singers praise Shiva, the Destroyer. The water really is pleasant, warm and soft with a light slippery feel from the pollution. A boatman says he thinks the water is clean though brown like chai tea from the mud. After the monsoon the silt settles down. Many think that the mud neutralizes the river's harmful impurities. These include human ashes, expired livestock, and the anchored bodies of lost children.

PROPOSED SEAVAX RIVER POLLUTION (PART) SOLUTION

The most significant advantage to using SeaVax as a platform to develop a river cleaning solution, is that the vessel is powered by over 80kW of energy harvested from nature. This is important, because if the craft can be converted to clean effluent and metals from river water (not on the agenda at the moment, but we are willing to undertake studies if properly underpinned) whatever assistance that may provide is sustainable in energy terms, in a circular economy.

On average over a year, the energy harvested should provide enough energy to pump 89.9 million liters or waste water per vessel, or surface skim solids from a river.

This would not make a dent on the problems of the River Ganges as an extreme example, but many other rivers could benefit massively from at least a feasibility study to be able to come to terms with the logistical problems that we have identified.

1. The first thing to consider is whether it is advantageous to deploy several ocean dustcarts to deal with surface litter that would otherwise find its way into the open ocean and feed the 5 main Gyres. This is not only doable but a must in the case of nearly every substantial river in the world.

2. The second is to decide whether to deploy SeaVax oil spill boats to rivers that are known to be oil toxic.

3. The third is to undertake a feasibility study as to the possibility of modifying SeaVax units to deal with industrial waste and sewage at selected points of discharge. The issue here is likely to be volume where sedimentation tanks would need to be voluminous and SeaVax is a mobile solution. If deployed at known discharge points, that may negate the volume issue to some extent.

PROOF OF CONCEPT MILL & SINGLE STAGE FILTRATION - In this photograph our IT expert, Jamie Hughes, talks to delegates at Innovate 2015 about the potential for SeaVax. You can see the experimental mill mouth/head and hydro-cyclonic filtration chambers of the SeaVax test boat under construction.

MOUTH - The full size version of this collector is 14 metres (44 feet) wide and includes two more stages of filtration that we cannot show here due to patent laws prohibiting publication before grant. This unit showed us what was possible and what to develop next. Nobody else anywhere in the world is developing such a system. We welcome development partners, not just on the technical boat build, but also on the logistical and political side.

- ACIDIFICATION ADRIATIC - ARCTIC - ATLANTIC - BALTIC - BAY BENGAL - BERING - CARIBBEAN - CORAL - EAST CHINA

- ENGLISH CH GOC - GULF GUINEA - GULF MEXICO - INDIAN - IOC - IRC - MEDITERRANEAN - NORTH SEA - PACIFIC - PERSIAN GULF - SEA JAPAN

STH CHINA - PLASTIC - PLANKTON - PLASTIC OCEANS - SEA LEVEL RISE - UNCLOS - UNEP - WOC - WWF

AMAZON - - IRTYSH - BURIGANGA - GANGES - JORDAN - LENA - MANTANZA-RIACHUELO CITARUM - CONGO - CUYAHOGA

MARILAO - MEKONG - MISSISSIPPI - NIGER - NILE - PARANA - PASIG - SARNO - THAMES - YANGTZE - YAMUNA - YELLOW

LINKS & REFERENCE

Central Pollution Control Board of India

listaka top 12 most polluted rivers in the world

http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/River-pollution-unites-Israelis-Jordanians-Palestinians-405668

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/26/israel-closes-jordan-christ-baptism

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140222-jordan-river-syrian-refugees-water-environment/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_River

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/02/plastic-waste-thames-marine-life-report

http://www.austroindonesianartsprogram.org/blog/most-polluted-river-world-citarum-river-indonesia

http://hubpages.com/politics/What-Are-the-10-Most-Polluted-Rivers-in-the-World

http://listdose.com/top-10-polluted-rivers-world/

http://listaka.com/top-12-most-polluted-rivers-in-the-world/

http://www.cpcb.nic.in/water.php

http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/science/1.666846

http://inspiredeconomist.com/2015/01/14/india-uses-zld-ganges-river/

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/india-million-litres-untreated-sewage-polluting-holy-river-ganga-says-report-1491715

http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/China-India-rivalry-grows-over-infrastructure-projects

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The River Jordan flows into the Ocean. It is the most polluted rivers in the world, River Thames, Mantanza-Riachuelo River, Buriganga River, Yamuna River, Yellow River, Marilao River, Sarno River, Mississippi River, Cuyahoga River, Pasig River, AMAZON, CONGO, IRTYSH, LENA, MEKONG, NIGER, NILE, PARANA, YANGTZE,.

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Bolivia has awesome air quality
5.00%

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Cleaning up the 'sacred lake': locals tackle Titicaca pollution

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Aymara indigenous people fish on Lake Titicaca near Quehuaya in Bolivia, on June 2, 2018. (AFP)

Under a blazing sun on the arid banks of Lake Titicaca, high in the Andes Mountains, around a dozen indigenous women work tirelessly to collect cans, bottles and plastic bags.

The women with their long black braids, traditional red bell-shaped skirts, thick woollen jackets and felt bowler hats hope to set an example for other local residents and tourists who leave tons of garbage by the lake every year.

Aymara indigenous women, clean the shore of the Titicaca lake in Puerto Perez, La Paz department, Bolivia on April 18, 2018. (AFP)

But their efforts may amount to nothing more than window dressing; wastewater from the surrounding region is contaminating the lake, which many local people rely on for fishing to make a living.

At 8,500 sq km (about 3,300 square miles), Titicaca which straddles the border between Bolivia and Peru is as big as the French island of Corsica.

And at an altitude of more than 3,800 metres (12,500 feet), it is the world's highest body of fresh water that is navigable by large vessels.

The local Aymara people call it a "sacred lake," legend has it that from these waters emerged Manco Capac, son of the Sun God, and his wife Mama Ocllo, who then founded the ancient city of Cusco, the capital of the Inca empire.

On the beach of Santiago de Huata, a town on the Bolivian shore of the lake, the women use latex gloves to lift bits of rubbish one by one and put them in huge biodegradable bags.

Such clean-up days are organised once or twice a year to raise awareness about the devastating pollution.

A group of indigenous women from Bolivia and Peru suppported by a NGO carry out the cleaning of garbage washed along the coast of the Titicaca lake on April 18, 2018. (AFP)

Cows and sheep
In the dry season, when the water level is low, the scale of the disaster is all the more evident.

"We find plastic, paper, bottles and all types of rubbish," even "used diapers," says Helena Condori, a tradeswoman in the Peruvian village of Juliaca on the opposite shore of the lake.

"It hurts me that we are cleaning up what others throw away."

But she is full of enthusiasm despite the immense task at hand, because "it makes us feel that Peru and Bolivia are more united than ever."

The women have already cleaned the beach at Puerto Perez, also on the Bolivian side.

But environmentalists and local officials point to a bigger problem: the wastewater now flowing into the lake.

View of the polluted shore of the Titicaca lake in Puerto Perez, La Paz department, Bolivia on April 18, 2018. (AFP)

Less than 30 years ago, people could still drink the lake water, but no more.

It is "a problem that is causing serious pollution," says Fanny Zeballos, an environmental engineer for the non-governmental organisation Agua Sustentable (Sustainable Water).

The organisation supports the clean-up initiative, although Zeballos acknowledges it "will not be enough."
'I feel that I'm dying too'
Bolivian local councillor Reina Silva, who is also taking part in the clean-up day, says the effects of the pollution are all too plain to see.

"Our animals feed on totora [plants] and they die of diarrhoea. Our cows and sheep drink water and die. That's how we know that it's polluted," she said.

"I feel bad I feel that I'm dying too."

Agua Sustentable puts together the team of local women and provides the equipment to measure the level of pollution in the lake.

This time, they have collected about 100 kilos (220 pounds) of rubbish.

Juan Jose Ocola, head of the bilateral Lake Titicaca Authority operated by the two countries, says pollution is concentrated on some banks but does not affect the entire lake.

Picture taken on the shore of Lake Titicaca near Quehuaya in Bolivia, on June 2, 2018. (AFP)

"Lake Titicaca is exposed to a serious pollution problem, as it's the receptacle for all the pollutants that are produced" in the surrounding area, he says.

The contamination comes mainly from three urban centres, home to some 1.6 million people: Puno and Juliaca on the Peruvian side, and El Alto, next to the capital La Paz, in Bolivia.

Ocola said although the local women are making "major" efforts, two things are badly needed: the construction of water treatment plants and new garbage dumps.

Peru has already announced the construction of 10 water treatment plants, at the cost of $400 million, while Bolivia has earmarked $80 million for a similar project in El Alto.

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Cleaning up the 'sacred lake': locals tackle Titicaca pollution

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A group of indigenous women from Bolivia and Peru supported by a NGO, carry out the cleaning of garbage washed along the coast of the Titicaca lake in an attempt to mitigate the harmful effects of pollution on native fauna and flora.

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Namibia has really bad air quality. 93.49%

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Lithuania has good air quality 13.2%

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The SES will continue to follow the situation following the January 7 event where Lithuanian environmental specialists in cooperation with law enforcement revealed the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage into the channel that opens into the Curonian inlet. SES Deputy General Director Evija Šmite said that the factory used to be included as a Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission (HELCOM) hot point, but has since been modernized.

"They've informed us about the substances and concentrations found before treatment, before it was released into the sea, and it doesn't show catastrophic or dangerous, toxic substances," said Šmite.

Swimming in the sea is a daily occurrence for many Liepāja residents, especially in the summer, so residents are rightfully worried. However it wasn't too long ago that Liepāja itself was a big polluter with municipal sewage from the Karosta area of Liepāja flowing into the sea. The situation was cleaned up in 2009.

"Judging by the fact that the municipality regularly conducts analysis during the swim season, then during the last eight years when we were applying for the Blue Flag microbiological indicators haven't exceeded the threshold," said a Liepāja resident.

The Klaipeda prosecutor's office is investigating the situation and Latvian institutions have requested information on the scope of the pollution, but further information is not currently available. Šmite explains that due to the direction of the winds and currents the Latvian sea water is most directly impacted by what happens to the south and southwest, where Lithuania is located.

"From Lithuania to Jūrmalciems the sea water quality is worse, closer to Liepāja the water quality improves, the pollution from Lithuania has disintegrated - this is confirmed by environmental monitoring and measurements by the Lithuanian border," said Šmite.

The paper product and carton production company Grigo Klaipeda produces Grite toilet paper and paper towels from recycled paper that can be bought in Latvian supermarkets. The company also has several factories near Vilnius. After the pollution was revealed the factory began to treat it's wastewater through the Klaipeda Water system. The company also announced in a press release on January 10 that it has set up a fund for cleaning the inlet.

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Lithuanian pollution dispersed off Liepāja coast

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The SES will continue to follow the situation following the January 7 event where Lithuanian environmental specialists in cooperation with law enforcement revealed the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage into the channel that opens into the Curonian inlet.

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Andorra has great air quality 7.3%

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Les muntanyes d'Andorra tenen 538 quilograms menys de brossa arran de la iniciativa Clean Up Andorra, coorganitzada per la Creu Roja Andorrana Joventut, el departament de Medi Ambient i Sostenibilitat de Govern a través d'Andorra Sostenible, Rastre Zero, Carnet Jove Andorra i CityXerpa. Un total de 170 persones repartides en sis punts del medi natural del Principat van col·laborar en l'acció, que va superar àmpliament les expectatives de participació amb més de 300 inscrits en cinc dies. Malgrat que finalment es van produir algunes baixes respecte als inscrits, la valoració de l'acció ha estat molt satisfactòria. La coordinadora de Creu Roja Andorrana Joventut, Marta Patxot, assenyala que "els participants estaven molt predisposats i en van sortir encantats i agraïts. El més important, però, és el canvi de xip que s'ha produït en aquestes persones i que es pot produir en els que s'assabentin de la notícia pels mitjans".

Els boscos del Pas de la Casa va ser el punt on es van recollir més quilograms de brossa, amb un total de 165 kg, seguit dels Cortals d'Encamp (108 kg), el llac d'Engolasters (83), el coll d'Ordino (67), els Cortals de Sispony (64,5) i la Rabassa (50). Davant l'èxit de la iniciativa, així com el fet que es va trobar més brossa de la que es pensaven, els organitzadors estudien celebrar una segona edició del Clean Up Andorra.

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La iniciativa Clean Up Andorra recull mitja tona de brossa de la muntanya

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Les muntanyes d'Andorra tenen 538 quilograms menys de brossa arran de la iniciativa Clean Up Andorra, coorganitzada per la Creu Roja Andorrana Joventut, el departament de Medi Ambient i Sostenibilitat de Govern a través d'Andorra Sostenible, Rastre Zero, Carnet Jove Andorra i CityXerpa.

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Algeria has fair air quality 20%

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Comme chaque année durant la période de l'été, la pollution dans nos plages gagne du terrain. Aucune plage n'est à l'abri de la main des citoyens qui ne respectent pas la nature, et n'ayant aucune notion de civisme. Pis encore, même les plages autorisées à la baignade ne sont pas totalement propres.
En dépit, des efforts fournis par le ministère de l'Environnement en partenariat avec les autres ministères, le constat est accablant. La côte algérienne mériterait sans nul doute un peu plus d'attention de la part des autorités publiques et des citoyens. Sur les 87 plages que compte la capitale, 70 sont ouvertes et autorisées à la baignade. 17 autres restent interdites, entre autres pour manque d'accès, ou en raison de la nature rocheuse de la plage et pour des raisons liées à la pollution. La nouveauté de la saison estivale 2015 consiste en la gestion directe des plages et des différentes prestations offertes aux estivants. Néanmoins, le chiffre de 87 plages est plutôt satisfaisant mais la question qui se pose est si ces plages respectent-elles les normes d'hygiène et disposent de toutes les commodités ? Lors d'une virée effectuée, hier, à la plage sise à Sablettes, ce qui nous a marqué le plus est la mauvaise odeur. Malgré cela, les citoyens inconscients des dangers qui encourent déposent leurs parasols au milieu de la récurrente et saleté et vont même se baigner sans se soucier des produits toxiques que peuvent nuire à leur santé. Bouteilles en plastique, sachets d'emballage, débris de verre, canettes, mégots, pneumatiques etc. À perte de vue, sur le littoral algérien, des amas de détritus négligemment abandonnés par les baigneurs et promeneurs. Des décharges sauvages qui offrent un visage affligeant de l'Algérie, à la nature pourtant diverse et inépuisable. Un mal qui ronge surtout l'écosystème algérien. Ces déchets mettront effectivement une éternité à se dégrader, demeurant ainsi une source de pollution inquiétante de la mer Méditerranée. Rencontré en plein milieu des rochets, Mohamed, 23 ans, ne voulait pas se baigner. Questionné sur la raison, Mohamed s'est livré à raconter une longue histoire qui a changé, à tout jamais, ses comportements à la mer. " Il y a quelques années, quand j'étais plus jeune, j'ai nagé dans une plage pas loin d'ici. Le lendemain je me suis réveillé avec une inflammation à mon œil gauche", a-t-il narré, avant de poursuivre, "au jour d'aujourd'hui, j'ai cette tâche marron dans mon œil, qui ne va jamais disparaitre". "Cette tâche ma rappellera à jamais mon comportement irresponsable, mais je ne pouvais pas savoir que cela pourrait m'arriver", a rajouté Mohamed.
Une pollution sans précédent
Si les wilayas de Skikda, Tipasa et Jijel ont vécu l'échouage des navires "poubelles", le nestorc, cougard, kastor, en 2003, le feuilleton des poissons morts dans le port de Béjaïa durant les années 1980 ou encore la fameuse histoire des potiches de mercure jetées dans les eaux du port d'Alger durant les années 1970, les eaux usées demeurent, elles aussi, l'une des plus grandes catastrophes écologiques. En somme, elles constituent une véritable bombe à retardement. Le béton a envahi nos plages. Nos baies et nos oueds sont pollués. Ainsi, chaque année, la mer est à l'origine de plusieurs maladies à transmission hydrique, telles que la typhoïde, le choléra, les infections cutanées et les intoxications bactériologiques. Comme ce fut le cas en 2003 quand des milliers d'algériens à travers le littoral ont contracté la conjonctivite.

La pollution gagne du terrain. Par ailleurs, il convient de revenir sur la catastrophe naturelle qui a frappé au plein fouet la cote de Bou Ismaïl. Les déchets ménagers qui s'y entassent jusque dans l'eau sont repoussants et agressent le regard. Tout y est : des restes d'aliments de la veille ou de l'avant veille jetés en vrac, des chiffons à la pelle, jusqu'aux pneus usagés, en passant par les inévitables sachets plastiques et les tessons de bouteilles qui scintillent dangereusement sous le soleil de plomb. Pour le nez, l'odeur nauséabonde des égouts desquels se déversent une eau noirâtre et chargée, pour finir dans l'eau de mer, se charge de l'agresser. Théoriquement la législation protège la baie algérienne, cependant la réalité est tout autre. Les textes de loi restent inappliqués, puisque sur le terrain rien n'est respecté. Les rejets de déchets émanant des zones industrielles se déversent directement dans la grande bleue. Sans parler des déchets des hydrocarbures, source principale de la marée noire émanant des bateaux "poubelles" et les navires de ballastage qui traversent quotidiennement le littoral, comme ce fut le cas à Tipasa, Jijel et skikda. Les hydrocarbures ne sont pas la seule cause de pollution maritime. Les eaux usées sont considérées la principale cause d'impureté de la côte algérienne. Sans oublier une quantité importante des eaux déminéralisées découlant des stations d'épuration et oueds. Toute cette eau se meurt dans la nature et porte un sacré coup à l'environnement sans que cette situation suscite une prise de conscience sur les effets secondaires qu'elle peut provoquer sur la faune et la flore.
Le désastre écologique à Bou Ismail
Dans un autre sillage, le cas le plus édifiant, même si le constat est établi à Bou Ismaïl. En effet, la baie de Bou Ismail subit 11 déversements d'eaux usées ménagères et deux déversements d'eaux industrielles rejetées par les deux zones industrielles de Chouaiba et Bou Ismail, ce qui constitue "un véritable danger pour l'environnement" et la mer. Le ministre des Ressources en eaux et de l'Environnement, Abdelwahab Nouri a pris, récemment, des mesures d'urgence pour endiguer la catastrophe écologique qui touche la Baie de Bou Ismail.

Le déversement des eaux usées en provenance de la zone industrielle dans la baie cause des ravages environnementaux dans la mer. Des stations d'épuration des eaux usées sont prévues depuis des années mais ne sont toujours pas opérationnelles. En attendant l'application de ces textes et la concrétisation de ces projets, seules la faune et la flore pourront témoigner de la triste vérité lorsqu'on les trouvera mortes, flottant sur la surface des eaux polluées.

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Comme chaque année durant la période de l'été, la pollution dans nos plages gagne du terrain. Aucune plage n'est à l'abri de la main des citoyens qui ne respectent pas la nature, et n'ayant aucune notion de civisme. Pis encore, même les plages autorisées à la baignade ne sont pas totalement propres.

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Belarus has okay air quality 18.8%

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Environmental pollution. editorial photography. Image of grass - 118168292

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Photo about SYKTYVKAR, RUSSIA - MAY 31, 2018: Illustrative image. Environmental pollution. A lot of garbage thrown out by people in the coniferous forest. Image of grass, green, illustrative - 118168292

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Georgia has okay air quality 21%

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Georgia's air quality is improving according to a new report from the American Lung Association.

Metro Atlanta showed some of the biggest declines in pollution.

It fell from 19th to 23rd on the association's list of cities with the worst smog in the country.

Augusta fell from 23rd to 30th on a ranking for particle pollution

Paul Billings with the American Lung Association says the findings highlight the success of the federal Clean Air Act.

"That shows tremendous progress that the pollution levels have dropped and that's because of the work that's being done to clean up coal fired power plants in the region as well as cleaner cars and trucks that we're seeing as a result of what the EPA [did] with The Clean Air Act," says Billings.

June Deen with the association's Georgia chapter says rising gas prices also play a role.

"We're looking to drive less, telecommute and all these things and put a higher value on vehicles that use less fuel," Deen says.

The Clean Air Act requires coal plants to use pollution-reducing scrubbers to cut emissions.

Georgia's smog season started April1st and runs through the end of September

Tags: smog, ozone, American Lung Association, June Deen Paul G. Billings, particle emmissions

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Georgia's air quality is improving according to a new report from the American Lung Association. Metro Atlanta showed some of the biggest declines in pollution. It fell from 19th to 23rd on the association's list of cities with the worst smog in the country.

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Kosovo has fair air quality 14.7%

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Following the high level of air pollution recorded in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, in the winter months, BIRN Kosovo's TV show Jeta ne Kosove on Thursday summarise ten years of reporting on this problem and concluded that the damage to people's health was the biggest cost that citizens are paying.

It comes after hundreds of people Pristina staged a protest on January 31 in reaction to data provided by the US consulate's Pristina Air Quality Monitor, which showed that Pristina was the most polluted city in the world during the last few days.

"Even greater than [bills] is the cost that you pay ... in terms of bad health as a result of the pollution generated by burning coal," an American professor of neurology, Allan Llokuod, told Jeta ne Kosove back in 2013.

The situation since then had worsened, however, according a doctor from the Kosovo National Institute of Public Health, Antigona Ukehaxhaj.

She spoke last year to the programme of an increasing number of children with lung diseases.

"We have had an increasing number of hospital admissions for respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases," Ukehaxhaj said.

She noted that because of the contaminated air, the number of those with breathing problems, even cancer, had practically doubled, "especially children".

The biggest source of the problem is coal. Many residents of Pristina still use coal to heat their homes, and it is this domestic use of coal, as well as the country's contentious coal-powered energy plant, that are responsible for the city's terrible air contamination.

Haki Abazi, the founder of the civil society consortium for economic development, KOSID, told the show in 2017 that the issue needs to be more widely discussed, so that citizens fully understand the health cost of air pollution.

"Then they would understand that burning coal causes diseases, which makes family budgets smaller, because they then have to invest in drugs and other things," Abazi says.

Although it is known that coal is a serious polluter, Kosovo has signed an agreement with an America company, Contour Global, that will construct and manage new coal power plant.

Many question the wisdom of this decision. In 2012, at a conference an American expert Dan Kaman from the University of California presented other alternatives that Kosovo could try, maintaining that coal was not the only solution to the country's energy issues.

"There is a real alternative; it doesn't mean that it [coal] is the only right choice," Kaman told Jeta ne Kosove in 2012.

"Using a reasonable amount of solar, wind and bio-mass along with hydro [power] provides enough options," he said.

"We see variable cases that can meet the need, and one of the key aspects of the story is that energy efficiency needs to become quite central," he added.

Following Kaman's research, a former speaker of Kosovo's parliament, Jakup Krasniqi. admitted that the country's energy policies were failing.

"Over 12 years now, Kosovo's energy sector has followed inappropriate policies," Krasniqi said in 2012.

Following the recent protest in Pristina, two days of discussions in the Kosovo Assembly session on air pollution ended with a 19-point resolution - but whether anything really changes remains to be seen.

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Kosovo's Polluted Air Takes Toll on People's Health

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Following the high level of air pollution recorded in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, in the winter months, BIRN Kosovo's TV show Jeta ne Kosove on Thursday summarise ten years of reporting on this problem and concluded that the damage to people's health was the biggest cost that citizens are paying.

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Singapore has okay air quality 13.8%

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Denmark has awesome air quality 9.6%

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Bioenergy from agriculture

More than two-thirds of Denmark ' s renewable energy comes from bioenergy , which is energy stored in organic material or biomass.

Agriculture is big business in Denmark, and it indirectly helps provide energy too, with manure, animal fats, and straw used as the basis for biogas and liquid biofuels.

Many Danish power plants are switching from fossil fuels to biomass (wood pellets, wood chips, or straw).

Nearly two-thirds of the Danish households are supplied with district heating (heat networks), where the heat is distributed to citizens as hot water in pipes. Roughly half of the fuel for district heating in Denmark is made up of biomass and other sources of renewable energy.

While biomass is a renewable energy source, its climate impact depends on the type of biomass being used. There is a strong focus on securing sustainable biomass in Denmark.

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More than two-thirds of Denmark ' s renewable energy comes from bioenergy , which is energy stored in organic material or biomass. Agriculture is big business in Denmark, and it indirectly helps provide energy too, with manure, animal fats, and straw used as the basis for biogas and liquid biofuels.

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Portugal has great air quality 7.1%

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Clean Regattas & coasts on the other side of the pond

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Sweden has great air quality 6.6%

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On March 26, Sweden Republican Committee members led a clean-up project on the north side of Route 31, west of Owens Road and east of Route 19.

The committee adopted the stretch of road through the Adopt-a-Highway Program several years ago.

Pictured (l to r) are: Kevin Johnson, Norm GianCursio, Kathy Roberts, Tony Perry, Don Roberts, Rob Carges, Brian Ingraham, Wayne Zyra, Peter Sharpe and TJ Sharpe. Missing from photo were Rob and Karen Sweeting and Dylan Sharpe.

Provided photo and information

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Committee leads clean up project - Westside News Inc

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On March 26, Sweden Republican Committee members led a clean-up project on the north side of Route 31, west of Owens Road and east of Route 19. The committee adopted the stretch of road through the Adopt-a-Highway Program several years ago.

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Norway has really good air quality 7.5%.

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Sunday June 5 is the World Environmental Day, and Keep Norway Clean will mark the occasion with a cleaning up action in Lofoten.

Marine litter has sadly become one of the biggest environmental threats, and Keep Norway Clean will therefore use World Environment Day to focus attention on the problem.
- As part of our efforts to prevent and clean up marine litter, we choose to mark the occasion of the World Environment Day with a cleaning up action, manager for Keep Norway Clean, Lise Gulbransen says.
Keep Norway Rents administration will arrive in Stamsund with Hurtigruten in 19 o'clock Sunday 5 June and from there the journey continues with RIB to organize Skokkelvika and Lyngvær. After the cleaning up action their journey with Hurtigruten will proceed to Tromsø, where Keep Norway Clean will attend the Waste Conference 2016.

Source: Hold Norge Rent / Norway Today

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Keep Norway Clean to use World Environmental Day to bring attention to marine litter - Norway Today

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Sunday June 5 is the World Environmental Day, and Keep Norway Clean will mark the occasion with a cleaning up action in Lofoten. Marine litter has sadly become one of the biggest environmental threats, and Keep Norway Clean will therefore use World Environment Day to focus attention on the problem.

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Austria has fair air quality 11.2

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PowerPoint Template With Air Pollution Control - Austria Linz Industrial Area Themed Background And A Coral Colored Foreground Design

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This incredible template is from our award-winning line of affordable PowerPoint templates. Customize it for FREE with our convenient online editor! (nkojkjhpk)

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Hungary has okay air quality 15.5%

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Air pollution is a leading cause of premature deaths this century. According to a new study, every year nine million people die because of air-pollution related illnesses - the same number of deaths as those caused by cigarettes.

The death rate from air pollution in Hungary is said to be the second highest in the world coming just behind China. As many as 10,000 people die prematurely in the country each year because of diseases linked to air pollution.

Last year, environmental organisations took legal action against the authorities in Hungary's capital, Budapest over illegal and harmful levels of air pollution in the city.

But it's not just in the big cities that air pollution is a problem. Small villages in mountain areas are also exposed. The main cause - the smoke coming from chimneys.

Pollution from heating increases the level of ultra-fine particles in the air by 20 which is very dangerous, explains environmentalist Peter Lenkei.

"Unlike bigger particles which come to a halt in our respiratory tracts the smallest particles of dust in polluted air can easily get into our bloodstream and cause cardiovascular illnesses which led to stroke or heart attack," he says.

It may be of little comfort to Hungarians to know they are not the only Europeans suffering from poor health due to air-pollution.

In May last year, the European Commission took Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Romania, as well as Hungary, to the bloc's highest court for failing to comply with EU air quality standards.

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Air pollution in Hungary accounts for thousands of premature deaths a year

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Air pollution is a leading cause of premature deaths this century. According to a new study, every year nine million people die because of air-pollution related illnesses - the same number of deaths as those caused by cigarettes. The death rate from air pollution in Hungary is said to be the second highest in the world coming just behind China.

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Lebanon has pretty bad air quality 46.87%

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Advanced BMI Lebanon - Dr Nagi Jean Safa Clinic

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Lebanon unlike most other Middle Eastern countries is blessed with an abundant supply of annual rainfall. The bad news is that most of Lebanon water sources is polluted and unfit for domestic use. This article will consider the various factors responsible for water pollution in Lebanon.
Untreated Sewage

One of the major contaminants of water sources in Lebanon is untreated sewage. According to a study, 70% of all fresh water sources were exposed to untreated sewage from various homes and business premises. Among this sewage were also industrial effluents. This has led to a significant microbial contamination of the water aside the significant alteration in the color of the water. This development has made most of the fresh water found in Lebanon unfit for domestic use. The northern city of Tripoli is the region with the highest reported cases of fresh water contamination. On the other hand, the Nahr Ibrahim River and Litani River are regarded as the two most polluted rivers in Lebanon. Another sad incidence is the restriction of the use of the Qaraoun Lake for fishing because of an overwhelming presence of heavy metal from industrial effluents. Practically all rivers in Lebanon suffer the consequences of dumped industrial waste.

Industrial effluent into the sea

Another type of water contamination in Lebanon is Industrial effluents into the sea. According to a recent survey, it was discovered that the seawater had a high incidence of chemical contamination. A research discovered that 30% of all fish caught off the coast of Lebanon had plastic in their stomach. This is due to the illegal dumping of plastic wastes into the sea by industries. More so, a recent study concluded that plastic contaminants were encountered under water of the Lebanese shore. In addition, disposed oil from ships and wastes are also part of the causes of water pollution in Lebanon.

Water pollution in Lebanon from agrochemicals

Another source of water pollution in Lebanon is the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers in Lebanon use pesticides and fertilizers without conformity with government regulation. At a point, the government was able to put in place an effective protocol to curb the abuse of fertilizers and pesticides. However, Government efforts to regulate agricultural activities to prevent pollution suffered serious setbacks.

Water pollution from improperly disposed solid waste

Another cause of water pollution in Lebanon is that solid waste are improperly disposed into water sources. This occurrence prompted Lebanon's Ministry of Environment to issue a waste management directive putting an end to the use of incineration. This is because when solid wastes are incinerated, the particles remaining are carried by flood to contaminate fresh water sources when heavy rain falls. Nevertheless the robust regulation that had been instituted to combat indiscriminate disposal of solid waste was inefficient, and the practice continued. Solid wastes are still being incinerated all over the municipalities, causing water pollution when rainfalls and carrying wastes into rivers lakes and other freshwater sources.
At a point, the Government suggested recycling as one of the ways of putting an end to the menace of indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes. However, the recycling initiative of the government backfired, as it became a haven of scavengers who use little children to pick up scrap of metals and plastic.

Landfilling

Landfilling is another cause of water pollution in Lebanon. Lebanon produces over 150 tons of waste daily. One of the usual ways of disposing this waste is by land filling them. The consequence of this is that when rain falls, the liquid part of the waste are carried by flood to cause pollution of fresh water sources.
Historically, the government of Lebanon took several steps and instituted numerous reforms to fight water pollution. Because of the political situation, these reforms were never instituted.

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Lebanon unlike most other Middle Eastern countries is blessed with an abundant supply of annual rainfall. The bad news is that most of Lebanon water sources is polluted and unfit for domestic use. This article will consider the various factors responsible for water pollution in Lebanon.

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Cyprus has somewhat fair air quality 14.8

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Netherlands has a good air quality % 11.3

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Air pollution in the Netherlands is worse than European rules permit, but the government is doing enough to limit emissions, a Dutch court ruled on Wednesday, reversing a previous verdict in which it had criticised the government for inaction.

The ruling was a surprise defeat for environmentalist groups which brought the case since the same court had ordered the government to take immediate action to limit air pollution only three months ago.

The court said on Wednesday that the government could not be accused of doing too little to improve the quality of the air, although emissions in various parts of the country are in breach of European rules.

'Excess pollution is mainly caused by traffic at certain points in the centres of Amsterdam and Rotterdam', the District Court in The Hague said. 'These problem areas are very difficult to solve as they are critical for keeping cities accessible.'

Overall, emissions had been reduced in recent years and measures to further limit pollution were being taken, the court said.

The Dutch health ministry has warned that current levels of nitrogen dioxide and particle matter emissions, mainly caused by road traffic and factories, can lead to respiratory illnesses, with chronic exposure shortening life expectancy by more than a year.

Emissions of particle matter should have been limited six years ago, while the deadline to adhere to European rules on nitrogen dioxide was the start of 2015.

'We are very disappointed', spokeswoman Anne Knol of environmentalist group Milieudefensie said. 'Air pollution makes people sick and is the cause of thousands of deaths each year. This has to stop.'

Deputy Environment Minister Stientje van Veldhoven on Wednesday said she will present new measures to limit emissions in the coming months.

The government needs to adhere to the European rules as soon as possible, but is not expected to do so in the coming years.

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Dutch court takes heat off government in air pollution fight

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Air pollution in the Netherlands is worse than European rules permit, but the government is doing enough to limit emissions, a Dutch court ruled on Wednesday, reversing a previous verdict in which it had criticised the government for inaction.

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Slovakia has close to green air quality 16%

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Air pollution stock image. Image of contamination, emissions - 33333739

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Photo about Air pollution (factory Mondi in city Ruzomberok, Slovakia). Image of contamination, emissions, mondi - 33333739

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Honduras has pretty decent air quality 11.8%

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Nov 10, 2011

Gulf of Honduras to eliminate pollution
You heard about the Gulf of Honduras Project back in October when directors announced that they were pressing full speed ahead to stop pollution in the gulf that is shared by Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. As a follow up, a workshop was held today to discuss an environmental analysis and the strategic plan of action, which are two major components of the multi-million dollar project. News Five's Delahnie Bain reports. Delahnie Bain, Reporting
What do Belize, Guatemala and Honduras have in common? The Gulf of Honduras and a shared mission to eliminate pollution and maritime damage in that area of the Caribbean Sea. Today a workshop was held by the Gulf of Honduras Project to discuss two important aspects of the initiative.
Edas Munoz Galeano, Director, Gulf of Honduras Project "What we are having today here is a workshop and we are going to discuss the environmental analysis assessment of the Gulf of Honduras, which is called the Environmental Diagnostic Analysis and this is the base for the strategic action plan for the Gulf of Honduras. These two documents are related with the aim to promote the economic development and the environmental sustainability of the Gulf of Honduras. That's why we are consulting here with the different sectors of the Belizean society." Melvin Hulse, Minister of Ports "It involves eighty percent of what we do. It involves shipping transportation and movement of cargo and running on the reef and things like that, garbage, putting in oils during travel. And so that is-as Minister of Ports, and being along with my counterparts that signed onto this thing with the global fund and directed by IDB for the Gulf of Honduras to try and make it a better, safer place; putting checks and balances, make sure we don't mess up the environment there and put in those features that will help us make movements better and safer."
Project Director, Edas Munoz Galeano says that there is room for improvement, but the implementation of the strategic action plan will tie up the loose ends.
Edas Munoz Galeano
"The strategic action plan is already complete. We have just started socializing it and we are trying to get the input from people in Belize, Guatemala and Honduras in order to finish the final draft of the SAP and then once it's finished we are going to hand it over to the governments for them to get the political endorsement and hopefully in the future they will use this plan as a guide to make decisions for project development, strategy development or whatever they think is the most appropriate decisions for the area."
Minister of Ports, Melvin Hulse is pleased with the progress that Belize's Ports have been making.
Melvin Hulse "Port has really tightened up and we're trying to create-we have a hydrographic board now. We have started to map all the seas, the floor beds of Belize and that will give us really new and improved navigational charts with the ultimate goal of eventually having highways both for local and international. We have increased all the communication facilities up in Baldy Beacon, twenty-four hours a day we monitor every ship that comes through our waters; watch them, monitor them, make them aware at sea. We have increased our navigational lights; they used to be three miles, I've done it to ten miles visibility. We are improving-we're putting more buoys out there, we're putting more and getting our towers to work better. What we bring in is to take us to another level because we're going to get there. We don't do anything that is totally going to be dependent: "bwai yoh come? Yeah bwai". Everybody bright eyed, bushy tailed and then you go and the thing crash. That dah noh this."
Both Hulse and Munoz agree that it takes a collaborated effort to sustain the development that has resulted from the Gulf of Honduras Project.
Melvin Hulse "People involved with sea, whether it's the cruise, locals taking around tourists and things like that, people who are fishing, people who are dealing with ships and the Port; we need to understand that we can make our business grow without messing up the place you know." Edas Munoz Galeano "It's important for the whole society to get more involved in these discussions because whatever we do or whatever is lacking to do it affects us as a whole. So we need to be proactive, we need to be involved, we need to be participating in these discussions in order to reflect in this document all our hopes and desires for the future."
Delahnie Bain for News Five.
The project was launched in February 2006 with a five year time frame and a budget of seven point two million dollars.
Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system. Advertise Here

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Gulf of Honduras to eliminate pollution | Channel5Belize.com

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Nov 10, 2011 You heard about the Gulf of Honduras Project back in October when directors announced that they were pressing full speed ahead to stop pollution in the gulf that is shared by Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

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The Czech Republic has decent air quality 13.9

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Tackling the Czech Republic’s poor air quality

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November saw the release of an annual government-commissioned report on the state of the environment in the Czech Republic. While the gist of the report maintained that a…

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Hong Kong has fair air quality pollution % is 15.9

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Hong Kong air pollution in photos - Tristan Lavender Photography

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Hong Kong air pollution poses a daily health threat to its inhabitants. These photos show Hong Kong covered under a thick blanket of smog.

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Sri Lanka has okay air quality in their country with a pollution percentage of 17.6

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Macao has fair air quality

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Air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of Asia according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Around one third, or 2.2 million of the world's 7 million premature deaths each year from household (indoor) and ambient (outdoor) air pollution are in the WHO Western Pacific Region-home to one quarter of the world's population.

WHO's new estimates show that 9 out of 10 people in the world breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. Polluted air penetrates deep into their lungs and cardiovascular system. Among the 2.2 million air pollution-related deaths in this Region in 2016, 29% were due to heart disease, 27% stroke, 22% chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, 14% lung cancer and 8% pneumonia.

"Air pollution is the most lethal environmental health threat in our Region, and it affects people in middle-income countries at a much higher rate than those in high-income countries," says Dr Shin Young-soo, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific. "Addressing air pollution and climate change are top priorities for WHO in the Western Pacific Region, but they are not challenges that individuals or the health sector alone can solve. We need urgent action across energy, agriculture, transport, housing and beyond to ensure a healthy and sustainable future."

Ambient air pollution

Ambient air pollution is made up of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). PM2.5 includes pollutants such as sulfate, nitrates and black carbon, which pose the greatest risks to human health.

Ambient air pollution affects urban and rural areas. Major sources include inefficient energy use in households, industry, the agriculture and transport sectors, and coal-fired power plants. In some areas, sand and desert dust, waste burning and deforestation are additional sources of air pollution. Air quality can also be influenced by natural elements such as geographical, meteorological and seasonal factors.

Household air pollution

The main source of household air pollution is the use of kerosene and solid fuels such as wood in polluting stoves, open fires and lamps. More than 40% of the world's population still do not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in their homes. Women and children are most at risk of household air pollution.

"Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of the burden," says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "If we don't take urgent action on air pollution, we will never come close to achieving sustainable development."

Countries taking action

While the latest data show ambient air pollution levels are still dangerously high in the WHO Western Pacific Region, they also show some progress. The estimated number of air pollution deaths in the Region has come down from 2.8 million in 2012 to 2.2 million in 2016.

WHO air quality recommendations call for countries to reduce annual mean values of air pollution to 20 μg/m3 for PM10 and 10 μg/m3 for PM2.5. Countries are taking measures to reduce air pollution from particulate matter. For example, the annual median exposure to ambient PM2.5 in China was 48.8 μg/m3 in 2016-a 17% reduction from the estimate for 2012, but still almost five times higher than WHO recommendations.

"Many of the world's megacities exceed WHO's guideline levels for air quality by more than five times, representing a major risk to people's health," says Dr Maria Neira, Director of WHO's Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health. "The good news is that we are seeing more and more governments increasing commitments to monitor and reduce air pollution as well as more global action from the health sector and other sectors like transport, housing and energy."

Air pollution does not recognize borders. Improving air quality demands sustained, coordinated government action at all levels. Countries need to work together on solutions.

In October 2016, Member States adopted the Western Pacific Regional Framework for Action on Health and Environment on a Changing Planet and the Manila Declaration at the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Health and Environment. In October 2017, WHO held a Member States Consultation on Addressing the Health Impact of Air Pollution in the Western Pacific Region, and continues to work with countries to take steps to improve the situation.

Later this year, WHO will convene the first Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, bringing together governments and partners in a global effort to improve air quality and combat climate change.

Notes to editors

WHO Global Urban Ambient Air Pollution Database

The database builds mainly on well established, public air quality monitoring systems as a source of reliable data in different parts of the world. The primary source of data includes official reporting from governments. Other sources include Clean Air Asia and the European Environment Agency for Europe's Air Quality e-Reporting database, ground measurements compiled for the Global Burden of Disease project, and peer-reviewed journal articles.

WHO Household Energy Database

WHO is the custodial agency for the health and health-related Sustainable Development Goal indicators on mortality from air pollution (SDG 3.9.1), population relying on clean fuels (SDG 7.1.2) and levels of fine particulate matter in cities (SDG 11.6.2).

Sustainable Development Goals and the environment

WHO is the custodial agency for the health and health-related Sustainable Development Goal indicators on mortality from air pollution (SDG 3.9.1), population relying on clean fuels (SDG 7.1.2) and levels of fine particulate matter in cities (SDG 11.6.2).

BreatheLife campaign

BreatheLife is a partnership of WHO, UN Environment and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-lived Climate Pollutants. In conjunction with today's data launch, BreatheLife is encouraging citizens to take action to reduce air pollution. The first in the series of challenges is "Marathon a month", which calls on people to leave their car behind and use alternative forms of transport for at least the distance of a marathon (42 km/26 miles) during one month.

WHO Western Pacific Region

Countries and areas of the WHO Western Pacific Region: American Samoa (USA), Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia (France), Guam (USA), Hong Kong SAR (China), Japan, Kiribati, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Macao SAR (China), Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Nauru, New Caledonia (France), New Zealand, Niue, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (USA), Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pitcairn Islands (UK), Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, and Wallis and Futuna (France).

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One third of global air pollution deaths in Asia Pacific

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Air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of Asia according to new data from the World Health Organization (WHO). Around one third, or 2.2 million of the world's 7 million premature deaths each year from household (indoor) and ambient (outdoor) air pollution are in the WHO Western Pacific Region-home to one quarter of the world's population.

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Fair air quality

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Fair air quality

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Fair air quality

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Pretty bad air quality 48.9

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Fair air quality 19.64

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Oman has fair air quality 21.51

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Air pollution from oil gathering station, Oman - Stock Image - E810/0231

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Industrial air pollution. Smoke rises from two hydrogen sulphide burnoff-flares at an oil gathering station, to obscure the setting Sun. JOE PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

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Pretty bad air quality 63.46

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Bad air quality 64.82

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Estonia One of the best air quality in the world 5.9%

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Estonia... maybe you've heard of it, and but maybe you're sort of fuzzy on where it is. This Baltic country has plenty of amazing things going for it right now - and it's starting to make its way up the "must-visit" lists. From an insta-worthy capital city, to superfast internet - read on to learn more about Estonia - including where the heck it's actually located!

1. Estonia celebrated its 100th birthday in 2018. Estonia declared its independence in February 1918, and in honor of the country's centennial, towns across the country will take turns hosting birthday festivities.

2. The language is pretty unique! It's most closely related to Finnish, but it borrows a bit from German too. It's said to be one of the most difficult languages for English-speakers to learn, so it's a good thing over 1/3 of Estonians are fluent in English already!

3. Locals perceive themselves as a bit wary and cold. (Give them a break - the country has been occupied by its neighbors for nearly all of its history!) Personal experience begs to differ, however, as the majority of Estonians we've encountered have been friendly and eager to share their culture.

4. The digital society is like no other. E-Estonia got its start in 1991, when Estonia became independent of Russia (again). They were able to invest in their own digital knowledge, building technologies that allowed them to forgo building government offices in a post-Soviet economy - moving most services to digital platforms instead. Estonians can sign contracts, use their E-ID to pay for public transit (although its already free for residents of Tallin), vote, receive digital prescriptions, declare taxes, create a new company, apply for government aid or services (maternity leave, for example). Almost everything can be done online!

5. Estonia receives more tourists each year than its total population. It's one of the least populated countries in Europe (28.4 people per square kilometer), which means it's easy to get out of the bustle of the city and relax.

6. It's super green! 50% of the country is forested - and 69% of the population believe that trees have a soul.

7. Estonians love to sing - they have one of the largest collections of folk songs in the world. In fact, Estonians were so determined to keep their culture alive during the Soviet occupation, that they banded together to sing. They even used the power of song to demand their independence by gathering in a mass of 300,000 to sing patriotic songs. It would become known as the Singing Revolution, and was active for five years, until they gained their independence (again) in 1991.

Still feeling foggy on your Estonian geography? It's the gateway between Scandinavia and Eastern/Central Europe! This centrally-located country is culturally more similar to its northern neighbors, Finland and Sweden, though it's often grouped with its Baltic neighbors Latvia and Lithuania. Of course, Russia is next door, too.

Learn more about educational travel programs to Estonia.

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7 Interesting Facts About Estonia | WorldStrides

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Estonia... maybe you've heard of it, and but maybe you're sort of fuzzy on where it is. This Baltic country has plenty of amazing things going for it right now - and it's starting to make its way up the "must-visit" lists.

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Good air quality 10.9

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Has good quality 9.8

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Fair air quality 34.86

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Has fair air quality 23.43

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Really terrible air quality and pollution % 87.97

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Okay air quality 21.87

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Bad air quality 78.79

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Poland now is among the worst countries when it comes to air pollution at a 98.6% avg.

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Spain has fair air quality 50.98

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Okay air quality 19.85

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Great air quality 2.3

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Great air quality 4.9

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One of the best air quality in the world today and has been for 5 years now with their percentage at 5.1

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Pretty fair air quality 25.90

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Has epic air quality 9.5

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Fair air quality 26.39

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Has pretty bad air quality 47.89

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WHO: air pollution killing 7 million a year

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Air pollution has become a leading cause of premature mortality worldwide, causing 1 in 8 premature deaths in 2012 - from transport, industry, energy generation and smoky indoor cooking fires. Aaron Cantú reports on WHO's grim findings.

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Has the second best air quality in the world 3.1

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Iceland has good air quality 6.1%

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A clean marine environment is incredibly important for Iceland. The Icelandic Environment Association and the Blue Army ran a highly visible and successful national campaign to "Keep Iceland Clean". The aim was to highlight and combat plastic pollution in the oceans. The campaign organised more than a hundred major beach-cleaning operations and, no less important, ran projects on the prevention of waste for public agencies, businesses and schools.

"Keep Iceland Clean" forged a strong partnership between the Icelandic Environment Association and the Blue Army. Thanks to the burning commitment of Tómas Knutsson, the Blue Army has become a trailblazer in cleaning up beaches, both above and below the surface of the water. The Icelandic Environment Association has acted as a watchdog for nature in Iceland for more than half a century. Its work fits with UN Sustainable Development Goal 14.1.

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The Icelandic Environment Association & The Blue Army for Hreinsum Ísland (Keep Iceland Clean)

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A clean marine environment is incredibly important for Iceland. The Icelandic Environment Association and the Blue Army ran a highly visible and successful national campaign to "Keep Iceland Clean". The aim was to highlight and combat plastic pollution in the oceans.

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Ireland has really good air quality 8%

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On the 18th of January, Sarah from "Clean Ireland", visited the school to discuss the importance of recycling with the children from 2nd Class up. During the session, the children learned many interesting facts and encountered some shocking statistics. All pupils were given the opportunity to participate in a hands on game, where they had to put their litter and waste knowledge into practice, deciding on how best to dispose of various items. Many thanks to Sarah and "Clean Ireland" for providing a fantastic service.

Cnoc Áine is our name, the Brat Glas is our aim.

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Clean Ireland - Knockainey National School

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On the 18th of January, Sarah from "Clean Ireland", visited the school to discuss the importance of recycling with the children from 2nd Class up. During the session, the children learned many interesting facts and encountered some shocking statistics. All pupils were given the opportunity to participate in a hands on game, where they had ...

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New Zealand has good air quality 6.8%

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Luxembourg has the 4th best air quality in the world at 9%

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Uk has one of the best air quality in the world 8.8

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Kieran Yates (@_kieran_yates_) | Unsplash Photo Community

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See the best free to download photos, images, and wallpapers by Kieran Yates on Unsplash.

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Malta has fair air quality with their percentage at 13.5

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Last Saturday’s editorial took a serious look at the problems of air pollution in Malta. It is such a shame that this hazard is allowed to continue without being taken seriously enough. If the authorities admitted and acknowledged the problem, they would have to make an effort to find a solution. But because those responsible for this hazard are probably certain quarters of the business community who are untouchable, decisions are taken to spend precious money, poured in vain by the EU, on studying what equipment is needed to study the quality of air we are inhaling instead of finding permanent solutions.

It really does not take an expert to realise the inferiority of our air quality. Just step off an aeroplane on landing in Malta and immediately hayfever sets in.

Everybody seems to have the snivels due to “hayfever” and I am myself, over recent years, beginning to get symptoms of asthma. We all have to play our part responsibly and avoid further ruin.

If the local government is still not convinced that Malta has a severe air pollution problem, all they have to do is consult their own employees, namely doctors in the polyclinics and Mater Dei. I believe they will be shocked out of their reverie. That is where they should direct their studies. The facts will pour in.

Two causes are a major concern: Traffic fumes and construction; which are partly responsible for the toxic air that we, our children and our visitors breathe. And that is why these studies go no further. Can you think of any other reason?

Independent journalism costs money. Support Times of Malta for the price of a coffee.

Support Us

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Last Saturday's editorial took a serious look at the problems of air pollution in Malta. It is such a shame that this hazard is allowed to continue without being taken seriously enough. If the authorities admitted and acknowledged the problem, they would have to make an effort to find a solution.

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Kenya is on the okay side of air quality with a percentage of 14.3

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Us Virgin Islands has great air quality.       4.5

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Columbia has even air quality 21.65

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World Health Organization ranks Finland's air cleanest in the world 2019

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has almost has no pollution 2.60%

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Air quality in Finland is the best in the world according to a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The country has the smallest fine particle density on the planet.

In Finland the average amount of fine particles was 6 µg/m3 eli micro grams per square meter, which is the lowest in the world. Estonia, Sweden, Canada, Norway and Iceland all come close behind. All of the countries ranking high in the study are located far from large pollution centers, but local environmental awareness and high technology also play their part.

The country's high ranking was noted in a press release from the Finnish Meteorological Institute comes from a data set published by the World Health Organization (WHO). The data was collected from 2,500 locations in different countries from 2008 to 2016. According to the WHO numbers the worst air quality is in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Countries in the trouble areas have densities of over ten times as those in the least polluted countries. Some of the dirtiest air is found in Indian cities where densities often climb over 100 µg/m3 values. WHO recommendation is than 10 µg/m3, a number exceeded in over 2,000 cities. In densely populated areas poor air quality influences millions of people's health.

The measurement locations in Finland were in the cities of Lohja, Espoo, Oulu, Vantaa, Harjavalta, Lahti, Raahe, Tampere, Vaasa, Lappeenranta and Helsinki. In addition data from two FMI stations in Utö and Vironlahti were used. FMI states that the statistics might not be reliable in countries, with only a few measurement locations and a lack of long term statistics.

Source: Suomi WHO:n ilmanlaatutilaston kärjessä

Written by Janita on Thursday May 3, 2018
Permalink -

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World Health Organization ranks Finland's air cleanest in the world

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Air quality in Finland is the best in the world according to a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO). The country has the smallest fine particle density on the planet. In Finland the average amount of fine particles was 6 µg/m3 eli micro g...

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has great air quality 12.49

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has okay air quality

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Brazil has great air quality

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33.99 is their pollution % witch is fair

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peru haS Okay pollution

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Chad has terrible air quality

p.p is 97.28 second worst in the world

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Antoine GIRET (@antoinegiret) | Unsplash Photo Community

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See the best free to download photos, images, and wallpapers by Antoine GIRET on Unsplash.

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Romania has fair air quality

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Greenland has 8.97% pollution percentage that's really good

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bad pollution 68.33

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Antarctica has decent pollution.
12.3%

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Advances in remediation science and a developing local expertise have allowed Australian scientists and engineers to begin addressing long-term soil contamination issues at Australia’s Antarctic and subantarctic stations.

Since 2003, remediation teams have applied and modified existing remediation technologies, normally used under warmer, more favourable conditions, to clean up fuel spills and develop risk and remediation guidelines for Australia’s Antarctic and subantarctic stations and environments. The work will be used to assist other Antarctic nations in their remediation efforts and to tackle legacy sites such as Australia’s abandoned Wilkes station.

At Casey station, members of the Australian Antarctic Division’s remediation team have delivered a significant and ongoing decrease in soil contamination at the station over the past four years. The first stage of the Casey clean-up began in 2005, to deal with a 6000 litre fuel spill at the station’s main powerhouse in 1999. The remediation team, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Melbourne, installed a ‘permeable reactive barrier’ (PRB) at the site. These barriers prevent fuel-contaminated snowmelt and groundwater from leaching into the surrounding environment, by channelling it through a treatment system.

‘PRBs are the first step in a multi-step process used to treat a contaminated site,’ Australian Antarctic Division Remediation Specialist, Mr Tim Spedding, said.

‘PRBs contain the effects of a spill and minimise the spread of contamination until the site can be more actively remediated. You need to install them first because once you start excavating contaminated soil for treatment you’ll also thaw the ground and remobilise a lot of the contaminants in the meltwater.’

The PRB consists of a series of cage pallets containing pelletised nutrients and activated carbon, which is placed in the path of the meltwater flow. When the water enters the barrier it becomes enriched with nutrients, which stimulates the native soil microbes to begin degrading fuel captured on the activated carbon. After a further nutrient capture step, clean water flows out the other side of the barrier.

In Antarctica the environmental conditions are such that PRBs can only passively treat contaminated meltwater, rather than actively reduce soil contamination. So in 2010 the team embarked on an active approach to remediation by excavating the contaminated soil and creating a series of ‘biopiles’. Like PRBs, biopiles use the native soil microorganisms to break down fuel contaminants. They do so at a faster rate, however, because the soil conditions are optimised for microbial growth by the addition of air and moisture.

Over three summer seasons, seven biopiles have been built at Casey station, with each soil pile measuring some 18 x 5m in size and 1.5m high. The biopiles are active for up to three months a year, when summer temperatures are high enough to thaw the soil and release moisture. Once the soil is thawed, leachate water is re-circulated through it to increase soil moisture distribution. A system of aeration pipes forces air through the biopiles towards a carbon filter at one end, trapping any volatile compounds that then biodegrade or evaporate.

While the technology has been used extensively in the Arctic and temperate environments, Antarctica has different environmental conditions and soil types. As a result, the team has had to research and tweak their materials and methods while they work. Part of this process involved testing a variety of materials used to cover and to line the base of the biopiles. To do this, the remediation team recruited geoenvironmental engineer Dr Rebecca McWatters, from Queen’s University, Canada, for her expertise in Arctic contaminated sites, geosynthetic materials and barrier systems.

‘For the past three years we’ve been investigating different combinations of geosynthetic liner materials on the biopiles, to test their long-term performance as a composite barrier system in preventing the movement of contaminants out of the biopiles and into the environment; all while the soil was being treated,’ Dr McWatters said.

‘We’ve also trialled a range of geotextile covers, which prevent contaminated dust being blown off the biopiles.

‘We’re looking for the right combination of technologies that will do the job with minimal cost, maintenance and management, and that will outlast the lifespan of the contaminated soil.’

The tests were conducted on the biopiles while soil remediation was underway, but also in a variety of other field- and laboratory-based tests. By early 2014 the team had supportive evidence for a combination of materials that would do the job while withstanding the cold, dry, windy, abrasive and UV-intense environment. In the process, the team also significantly remediated the contaminated soil.

‘Our most recent tests show that hydrocarbon concentrations in the biopiles are decreasing by 50% every 500 days,’ Dr McWatters said.

‘This compares to no detectable change over five years when just the PRB technology was used to contain the contaminants on site. This is very exciting and shows we are nearing our goal of returning remediated soil to the Casey environment for specific reuse applications.’

But how clean is clean enough? That is the question now occupying the remediation team and ecotoxicologists at the Australian Antarctic Division. While the soil will never return to its original state, there will be a point beyond which the effort to continue remediation will be disproportionate to the risks posed to the environment’s flora and fauna.

While the ecotoxicology work is still in progress, Mr Spedding said the remediation team has enough scientifically sound remediation options and technical expertise to begin to address clean-up issues at more difficult sites.

‘And through the Antarctic Treaty system we’ll be able to pass on what we’ve learned to other nations, so that they can apply it without having to go through the lengthy tests and trials we’ve already undertaken,’ he said.

Wendy Pyper
Corporate Communications, Australian Antarctic Division

This content was last updated 2 years ago on 17 December 2014.

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Advances in remediation science and a developing local expertise have allowed Australian scientists and engineers to begin addressing long-term soil contamination issues at Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic stations.

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Russia has pretty good pollution. 9.3

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Confronting one of the most hazardous environmental legacies of the Soviet era, Russian authorities are taking steps to clean up a decades-old problem posed by nuclear waste in Arctic areas.

On October 31, officials sent a second shipment of spent fuel rods from Andreeva Bay near the Norwegian border to the Mayak reprocessing plant in Ozersk, the closed city in Chelyabinsk Oblast that served as the cradle of the Soviet nuclear weapons program. The first delivery of nuclear waste occurred in June, Oil Price reported.

The cleanup has been partially funded by European countries and Japan, with Norway alone contributing $230 million since the mid-1990s. The problem is vast: There are still 26,000 containers of waste in northern Russian locations waiting to be reprocessed, along with thousands of containers of nuclear waste, reactors and decommissioned nuclear submarines offshore.

Many storage facilities in the north have been in use long past their intended lifespans and leaks of radioactive material into the surrounding soil are well-documented.

In addition to waste produced at home, the state-owned nuclear entity Rosatom has agreed to reprocess and store nuclear waste produced by plants they have constructed abroad. Rosatom has agreements with Egypt, Turkey, Belarus, Hungary and Finland, and several other countries to manage nuclear waste repatriation. Russia reprocesses nuclear waste to extract usable plutonium and uranium, so it can be reused as fuel. But this presents additional risks from transporting and storing this fuel, which activists say has often been handled without sufficient care for the local population's wellbeing.

Concrete action reportedly has been stymied by a lack of funding and ongoing disputes over who exactly is responsible for creating the problem. Under a plan approved in 2007, the Andreeva Bay area was supposed to have been cleaned up by 2017, yet the process began in earnest only this year, and funding for removing submerged nuclear materials from Arctic waters will not be available until at least 2020.

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Russia Takes Action to Clean Up Soviet Era Nuclear Waste

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Confronting one of the most hazardous environmental legacies of the Soviet era, Russian authorities are taking steps to clean up a decades-old problem posed by nuclear waste in Arctic areas.

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As of right now the Philippines is actually the cleanest country in the world at a perfect 0% pollution avg.

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Germany has  almost no pollution at all
at 2.08%

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Germany is one of the world’s most prolific users of clean energy for power, heating, and transport. Renewable energy contribute as much as one-fourth of the primary energy mix in the country.

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Australia has  great pollution  7.2%

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Puerto Rico has the least pollution in the world

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USA has one the best pollution in the world

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Ethiopia has one the middle pollution in the world

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Canada is one of the best countries at maintaining pollution.

better than the USA unsurprisingly

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Madagascar is smack in the middle of all the country's in the world.  21%

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Chile has okay air
quality

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Ukraine has fair air quality

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south Korea has sustainable air quality  19.1%

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Environment Pollution Appear At Gwangalli Beach After Typoon, Busan, South Korea, Asia Stock Photo - Image of bridge, gwangandaegyo: 153846434

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Photo about Environment pollution appear at gwangalli beach after typoon, Busan, South Korea, Asia. Image of bridge, gwangandaegyo, clouds - 153846434

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has one of the best pollution in the world

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Vietnam has The WORLDS 20th worst pollution.28.00

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Has the worlds 19th most pollution with their percentage at 71.40

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Has the world’s 18th most pollution what percentage at 29.40

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North Macedonia has the world’s 17th most pollution with their
Pollution percent at 30.60%

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Tajikistan has the world’s 16th most pollution with their percentage at 30.90%

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Has the world’s second highest pollution percentage
At 59.00 %