Most polluted river (current)
- Who
- Citarum river
- What
- 195 ppb (parts per billion) total number
- Where
- Indonesia
- When
- Data reported between 2013 and 2015
Based on the most recent data available, the world's most polluted river is the Citarum river in Indonesia. The river is 225 km long, covering an area of approximately 13,000 km² and coming in contact with about 9 million people. The pollutants come from industries (many textile plants are located in this area), as well as from domestic households. Analysis performed in 2013 showed very high concentrations for metals such as aluminium, manganese and iron – 97, 195 and 194 parts per billions (ppb) respectively. These figures are well above the world average – 32, 34 and 66 ppb respectively.
According to some studies, every day 400 tonnes of domestic wastes are disposed into the river, as well as 280 tonnes of industrial waste. The Indonesian government is taking action to decontaminate the area, with financial help of the Asian Development Bank.