11 Of The Dirtiest Beaches In The World

El Gringo Beach, Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic Pure Earth — a New York-based nonprofit formerly known as the Blacksmith Institute that aims to identify and clean up polluted sites around the world — once designated Bajos de Haina as one of the most polluted places on Earth. Nicknamed Dominican Chernobyl, the city outside El Gringo Beach is filled with chemical and pharmaceutical plants — not to mention an oil refinery. The Inter Press Service news agency reports that these factories emit high quantities of toxic substances including formaldehyde, lead, ammonium, and sulfuric acid each year. In addition to releasing airborne toxins, local factories are also said to dispose of waste by dumping it into the water.