A staggering 57 million tons of plastic pollution is produced globally each year, spreading from the depths of the oceans to the highest mountains and even into human bodies, according to a recent study. Researchers at the University of Leeds in the U.K. found that more than two-thirds of this pollution originates from the Global South, with the problem most severe in regions like Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa where waste management systems are insufficient.

The amount of plastic pollution is so vast that it could fill New York City’s Central Park with waste as high as the Empire State Building. Of this annual pollution, an estimated 52 million metric tons enter the environment, either through improper disposal or burning. The burning of plastic waste is especially concerning, as it contributes to the release of microplastics and nanoplastics, which pose significant threats to both human health and the environment.

Lagos, Nigeria, was identified as the city with the highest plastic pollution output, followed by New Delhi, Luanda, Karachi, and Cairo. India leads the world in plastic waste generation, producing 10.2 million tons annually—more than double that of the next biggest polluters, Nigeria and Indonesia. Surprisingly, China, often criticized for pollution, ranks fourth and has made substantial progress in waste reduction.

While some of the largest economies in the Global North, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, rank much lower in pollution output, the issue is still global. The study, published in the journal Nature, examined over 50,000 cities and towns worldwide and focused on plastic that ends up in the environment, excluding properly managed landfill waste.

In 2022, most countries agreed to create a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution, with final negotiations set for November 2024 in South Korea. This treaty represents a critical step in addressing a growing problem that researchers like Costas Velis, lead author of the study, warn is already having dire consequences. “The big time bomb of microplastics,” Velis said, “is being released mainly in the Global South,” where plastic waste is often burned or dumped improperly. These microplastics have now reached the farthest corners of the planet, from the peaks of Mount Everest to the depths of the Mariana Trench, entering the food and water humans consume daily.

The findings are alarming, especially considering that microplastics have been found in human tissues, including the brain and heart, raising concerns about the long-term health impacts. Scientists are still uncertain about the full effects of microplastics on human health, but their widespread presence is worrying.

Velis emphasized that the responsibility for plastic pollution should not solely fall on the Global South. “We shouldn’t put the blame, any blame, on the Global South,” he said, pointing to a lack of resources and government infrastructure to manage waste effectively. However, other experts, such as Neil Tangri from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), argue that the plastics industry bears a significant responsibility. “These guys have defined plastic pollution in a much narrower way,” Tangri said, noting that focusing only on waste management lets the industry off the hook for the environmental impact of plastic production itself.

Theresa Karlsson, science and technical advisor to the International Pollutants Elimination Network, expressed similar concerns, calling the volume of pollution identified in the study “alarming” and highlighting the broader issue of global plastic waste trade. While the study suggests that plastic waste trade is decreasing due to China’s ban on waste imports, Karlsson countered that the overall global waste trade is actually rising, with European Union waste exports growing substantially in recent years.

Despite these challenges, the study’s comprehensive findings have been praised by officials in the plastics industry. Chris Jahn, council secretary of the International Council on Chemical Associations, said, “This study underscores that uncollected and unmanaged plastic waste is the largest contributor to plastic pollution and that prioritizing adequate waste management is critical to ending plastic pollution.” However, the plastics industry remains resistant to any cap on plastic production, a measure that environmental advocates argue is necessary to address the root of the problem.

The United Nations predicts that plastic production could more than triple in the coming decades, rising from 440 million tons a year to 1,200 million tons by 2050. The U.N. has warned that “our planet is choking in plastic,” and if drastic measures are not taken, future generations will continue to bear the brunt of this pollution crisis.