These Disturbing Photos Of Children Playing In Garbage Show Just How Disgustingly Polluted The Earth Is

There's no doubt about it - pollution is a big problem all over the world.

Garbage production alone is a concern, with the World Bank reporting that solid waste generation is on track to exceed 11 million metric tons per day by 2100. Smog, the result of highly polluted air, is a major public health issue in places such as Los Angeles, Mexico City, and various cities in China and Southeast Asia. And garbage and chemical dumping is a serious issue for water quality around the globe.

These images, taken by photographers around the world, bring these problems into sharp focus by showing us the ways in which our youngest generation is forced to adapt to a polluted and garbage-filled planet. From swimming in sludge-filled rivers to playing atop garbage heaps, these children show us just how big a clean-up we have ahead of us.