Milan has a new, unwelcome, title: most polluted city in Europe.

New evidence suggests levels of toxic fumes from its traffic-clogged streets are having an alarming effect on infant mortality rates, and sending thousands of children to the city's accident and emergency departments. -- Telegraph

In an effort to curb this problem, the city authorities have imposed a pollution charge.

In Naples, the rubbish has been piling up due to poor garbage planning.

One of Italy's most famous restaurants, the Caruso in Naples, is being forced to close, victim of a rubbish collection crisis that has submerged the city under piles of refuse, shut schools and crippled tourism.

Due to a shortage of city dumps, local protests over the location of new overflow sites, delays in the completion of an incinerator and mafia infiltration of refuse collection contracts, the removal of waste in Naples has been sporadic for months. With many cruise ships steaming straight past the city, Cardinale said occupancy at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio, which houses the Caruso restaurant, had hovered around 29% this year, down from 47% in early 2007. -- Guardian

According to researchers, the level of pollution has had an effect on male fertility in Italy.

Whether Italy has the most polluted cities is a debatable point as there are several other serious contenders for that dubious award:

Copsa Mica in Romania is so polluted from the local smelter that the life expectancy of the city is 9 years below Romania's average, which is already much lower than other parts of Europe.

In Veles, Macedonia, Doctors reported that babies were born with whole organs missing.

Pancevo, near Belgrade in Serbia, also has a strong case, with lung cancers and other illnesses caused by local industry including a Copper mine.

These pale into insignificance (if that is possible) compared to the really bad places to live in the world.

According to Worldwatch, 16 of the 20 cities with the most polluted air in the World are in China.

Roughly one-third of the nation’s land area is exposed to acid rain, just one of the many environmental side effects of the 2.1 billion tons of coal produced and burned there last year. Acidification now affects some 30 percent of China’s cropland, and the estimated damage to farms, forests, and human health is US $13 billion.

A recent study by a Chinese research institute found that 400,000 premature deaths are caused every year in China by diseases linked to air pollution. And China's Ministry of Science and Technology reports that 50,000 newborn babies are killed by air pollution a year." -- Worldwatch

According to the Blackstone Institute's top 10 most polluted city list

12 million people live in the cities on its top 10 list, and a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report showed that environmental factors like bad water and air pollution accounted for 20% of the global burden of disease. -- Time Magazine

Have a look at these photos from Time magazine which show the depressing story.

It is clearly a matter of great regret that anyone has to live like this. Milan might be bad, but it has nothing on these places.

Further Reading:

• The China Experiment: More Pollution, More Cancer