Dirtied by success? Nigeria is home to city with worst PM10 levels

Updated 0350 GMT (1150 HKT) June 1, 2016

Onitsha -- a city few outside Nigeria will have heard of -- has the undignified honor of being labeled the world's most polluted city, according to <a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/air-pollution-rising/en/" target="_blank">data </a>released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016.

Photos: The worst cities in Africa for pollution

Onitsha – Onitsha -- a city few outside Nigeria will have heard of -- has the undignified honor of being labeled the world's most polluted city, according to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016.

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The booming port city in southern Nigeria, recorded 30 times more than the WHO's recommended levels of particulate matter concentration.

Photos: The worst cities in Africa for pollution

Onitsha – The booming port city in southern Nigeria, recorded 30 times more than the WHO's recommended levels of particulate matter concentration.

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"The contributing factors to pollution are a reliance on using solid fuels for cooking, burning waste and traffic pollution from very old cars," Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, told CNN.

Photos: The worst cities in Africa for pollution

Onitsha – "The contributing factors to pollution are a reliance on using solid fuels for cooking, burning waste and traffic pollution from very old cars," Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, told CNN.

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The transport hub of Kaduna, in the north, came fifth on the list, although<a href="http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/air-pollution-rising/en/" target="_blank"> the report</a> only included pollution levels from cities with a population of over 100,000 residents that monitor their pollution levels -- something many African cities don't do.

Photos: The worst cities in Africa for pollution

Kaduna – The transport hub of Kaduna, in the north, came fifth on the list, although the report only included pollution levels from cities with a population of over 100,000 residents that monitor their pollution levels -- something many African cities don't do.

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"We need to do an assessment of the sources of pollution at city level, also work on better planning of urban collective transport systems, and take very old cars out of service," said Neira.

Photos: The worst cities in Africa for pollution

Kaduna – "We need to do an assessment of the sources of pollution at city level, also work on better planning of urban collective transport systems, and take very old cars out of service," said Neira.

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Trade centers in southern Nigeria, Aba and Umuahia, came sixth and 16th on the list, respectively. Last year, the World Bank reported that <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/06/16/in-lagos-nigeria-a-plea-for-action-against-pollution" target="_blank">94% of the population in Nigeria is exposed to air pollution levels</a> that exceed WHO guidelines (compared to 72% on average in Sub-Saharan Africa in general) and air pollution damage costs about 1% post of Gross National Income.

Photos: The worst cities in Africa for pollution

Aba – Trade centers in southern Nigeria, Aba and Umuahia, came sixth and 16th on the list, respectively. Last year, the World Bank reported that 94% of the population in Nigeria is exposed to air pollution levels that exceed WHO guidelines (compared to 72% on average in Sub-Saharan Africa in general) and air pollution damage costs about 1% post of Gross National Income.

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Story highlights

Onitsha has the worst PM10 levels in the world, according to a new report
Four of the worst cities in the world for this were located in Nigeria -- Africa's largest economy
The WHO urges all cities to start monitoring their pollution levels

(CNN)The word "Africa" often evokes romantic images of elephants crossing the Kalahari, thundering water at Victoria Falls, or panoramic views from Table Mountain.

But an increasingly common sight for Africans -- especially those in Nigeria -- is that of smog, rubbish and polluted water, according to a new report.

Four of the worst cities in the world for air pollution are in Nigeria, according to data released by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Onitsha -- a city few outside Nigeria will have heard of -- has the undignified honor of being labeled the world's most polluted city for air quality, when measuring small particulate matter concentration (PM10).

Watch: Delhi's pollution-control measures

A booming port city in southern Nigeria, Onitsha recorded 30 times more than the WHO's recommended levels of PM10.

Named and shamed

The other three cities named and shamed in the WHO report for high PM10 levels are the transport hub of Kaduna, in the north, which came fifth, followed by the cities of Aba -- in sixth place -- and Umuahia, in 16th position, which are both trade centers in southern Nigeria.