Sasha is one of the children at the Vesnova orphanage. More than five million children are living in the affected areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Photo Credit: Julien Behal/Chernobyl Children's Project  Read More about Chernobyl, Ukraine.

The reactor disaster in Chernobyl took place on April 26, 1986. The reactor was encased as a temporary solution to secure the site for only 20-30 years. Photo Credit: Julien Behal/Chernobyl Children's Project. Read more about Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Mentally handicapped children exposed to radiation. Photo Credit: Alex Emes. Read more about Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Twenty-one years after the disaster, abandoned mentally and physically handicapped children are being found and taken in by orphanages. Photo Credit: Alex Emes. Read more about Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Children in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine have been suffering from the effect of the radiation released in April 1986. The Rechitsa orphanage in Belarus has been caring for the huge population of sick children. Photo Credit: Julien Behal/Chernobyl Children's Project. Read more about Chernobyl, Ukraine.

In Dzerzhinsk, Russia, waste from 190 chemicals has turned the groundwater into a dangerous toxic sludge. Life expectancy there is 42 for men and 47 for women. Photo Credit: Blacksmith Institute. Read More about Dzerzhinksk, Russia.

Young men look for metal near an abandoned lead mine in Kabwe, Zambia. Many children in the area suffer from severe lead poisoning. Photo Credit: Blacksmith Institute. Read More about Kabwe, Zambia.

A health worker examines to a man sickened from scavenging in the lead mines of Kabwe, Zambia. Photo Credit: Blacksmith Institute. Read More about Kabwe, Zambia.

Young men look for metal at the site of an abandoned lead mine in Kabwe, Zambia. Lead poisoning of children in the area is endemic. Photo Credit: Blacksmith Institute. Read More about Kabwe, Zambia.

Processing operations at Doe Run Peru release toxic emissions throughout the night.  Photo Credit: Katty Galvez de Cordova/Blacksmith Institute Read more about La Oroya, Peru.

Pollution from the mining and processing operations of Doe Run Peru has led to dangerously high concentrations of lead in children's blood in La Oroya.  Photo Credit: Matthew Burpee  Read more about La Oroya, Peru.

Young coal miner in Linfen, China. The State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) of China has branded Linfen as having the worst air quality in the country. Photo Credit: Andreas Haberman  Read more about Linfen, China.

Children in Norilsk are suffering from respiratory diseases, along with ear, nose and throat disesases.Photo Credit: Hans Wendel  Read more about Norilsk, Russia.

According to a 1999 study, traces of the neurotoxin, nickel have been found within a 60 km radius of the city. Photo Credit: Hans Wendel  Read more about Norilsk,Russia.

Norilsk has the world's largest heavy metals smelting complex. It's operations are releasing 4 million tons of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, As, Se and Zn into the air annually. Photo Credit: Hans Wendel  Read more about Norilsk,Russia.

Women workers are exposed to water contaminated by hexavalent chromium. Infertility, birth defects, and stillbirths and have resulted from this exposure. Photo Credit: Blacksmith Institute  Read more about Sukinda, India.

Women workers are exposed to contaminated dust and water. Common ailments are gastrointestinl bleeding, tuberculosis and asthma. Photo Credit: P. Madhavan/MMP-India  Read more about Sukinda, India.

Untreated sewage and mercury-contaminated sludge continue to be dumped haphazardly from chlor-alkali industries. Photo Credit: Petros Morgos  Read more about Sukinda, India.

Sumgayit was an industrial center during the Soviet era, in manufacturing rubber, chlorine, aluminum, detergents and pesticides. Photo Credit: Adam Klaus Read more about Sumgayit, Azerbaijan

Currently polluting factories in Sumgayit are using dated technologies and improperly disposing and treating industrial waste. Photo Credit: Adam Klaus Read more about Sumgayit, Azerbaijan

Cancer rates in Sumgayit are 22-51% higher than the national average in Azerbaijan. Photo Credit: Adam Klaus Read more about Sumgayit, Azerbaijan

The pollution activities in Vapi has caused respiratory diseases including chemical dermatitis, carcinoma, skin, lung and throat cancers. Photo Credit: Lampu Bhutia/Blacksmith Institute Read more about Vapi, India

The pollution activities in Vapi has caused respiratory diseases including chemical dermatitis, carcinoma, skin, lung and throat cancers. Photo Credit: Lampu Bhutia/Blacksmith Institute Read more about Vapi, India

The pollution activities in Vapi has caused respiratory diseases including chemical dermatitis, carcinoma, skin, lung and throat cancers. Photo Credit: Lampu Bhutia/Blacksmith Institute Read more about Vapi, India

In Vapi, over 50 industrial estates comprising at least 1,000 individual factories produce byproducts from petrochemical, pesticide, pharmaceutical and textile manufacturing. Photo Credit: Lampu Bhutia/Blacksmith Institute Read more about Vapi, India

Toxic waste containing heavy metals -- cyanide, pesticides and other carcinogens are haphazardly dumped throughout the environment. Photo Credit: Lampu Bhutia/Blacksmith Institute Read more about Vapi, India