7 dirtiest beaches in the world
Beaches around the world are suffering from pollution (photo: Freepik.com)
There are many places to relax in the world, but some of them suffer from huge amounts of garbage and pollution. Let's take a look at seven of the worst beaches that have fallen victim to human negligence and environmental change.
RBC-Ukraine shows where, from picturesque islands to crowded beaches, garbage has become a huge problem.
Kamilo Beach, Hawaii, USA
Kamilo Beach in Hawaii is often called Plastic Beach. Every year, thousands of kilograms of plastic waste accumulate here, coming from different parts of the world, including Japan and Russia.
One of the reasons for the pollution is the proximity to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a high-pressure zone where ocean debris is trapped in the waters.
The worst images of this beach look more like a landfill than a vacation spot. Even its picturesque nature cannot hide the scale of pollution.
Kamilo Beach (photo: Wikimedia)
Henderson Island, British Overseas Territories
Henderson Island, despite its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most polluted beaches in the world. Every year, about 37 million pieces of garbage wash up here.
Although the island is remote and uninhabited, the plastic disaster has affected this picturesque place as well. Researchers recently found more than 53,000 pieces of man-made garbage in just three months of research.
Henderson Island (photo: Property and Environment Research Center)
Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India
Juhu Beach in India has become synonymous with water pollution.
Its coastal waters are contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria due to the discharge of untreated wastewater from surrounding slums and other sources. This makes the beach unsafe for visitors, who risk contracting intestinal infections, typhoid, or hepatitis A.
Despite hygiene issues, locals continue to visit the beach, but the future remains uncertain.
Juhu Beach (photo: Wikimedia)
Liberty Island, Manila, Philippines
Liberty Island, located in Manila Bay, has become known for its huge amounts of garbage. In the first five months of 2019, more than 400 truckloads of garbage were removed from the area, but new waste is quickly returning.
The beach suffers from plastic, especially single-use plastic produced by large companies. To make matters worse, the island is an important place for migratory animals, but now it is effectively a landfill.
Liberty Island (photo: Wikimedia)
Haina Beaches, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
This place was nicknamed the Dominican Chornobyl because of the extreme level of pollution. The main problem in the beaches of Haina comes from an old factory where lead residues were not properly disposed of.
This caused the highest level of lead pollution in the world. Residents, particularly children, have been found to have dangerous levels of lead in their blood, leading to serious health problems.
Beaches of Haina (photo: Farandwide.com)
Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast
Albanian beaches bordering the idyllic Adriatic Sea are considered the most polluted in Europe. Due to an unsatisfactory waste management system, local garbage is washed up on the shores of neighboring Croatia.
Only 35% of Albania's beach waters are of excellent quality, while 18 beaches have been found to have critically poor water quality.
Albanian beaches (photo: Wikimedia)
Beaches of Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela
Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela has become one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. The problem here is not only plastic but also huge oil slicks caused by uncontrolled oil production and frequent spills.
Years of irresponsible exploitation of the region's resources have led to serious environmental consequences. The pollution has negatively impacted biodiversity and local communities that depend on the lake for their livelihoods.
Lake Maracaibo (photo: Wikipedia)
