Pure Earth


Pure Earth, formerly known as the Blacksmith Institute, is a New York City-based international not-for-profit organization founded in 1999 that works to identify, clean up, and solve pollution problems in low- and middle-income countries, where high concentrations of toxic pollution have devastating health impacts, especially on children. These communities suffer disproportionately from pollution-related diseases. Pure Earth remains the only significant organization of its kind working to solve pollution on a global scale.
Pure Earth is known for leading the fight against global toxic pollution that affects human health with its various efforts, including the World's Worst Pollution Problems reports; the Toxic Sites Identification Program, the Pure Earth database of polluted sites, the Blacksmith Index, the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, the ' project with National Geographic, the ', the Journal of Health and Pollution, and more.
In 2015, Pure Earth helped to successfully advocate for broadening the scope of toxic pollution addressed in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Pure Earth's work focuses on multiple health issues, with two significant programs: and from the use of leaded pottery; and
Pure Earth's latest report is
Pure Earth has been recognized by Charity Navigator as one of the United States' top performing nonprofits.

Pollution: Largest Environmental Cause of Death In The World Today

In 2017, Pure Earth President Richard Fuller and Dr. Philip Landrigan, serving as co-chairs of the , issued an , and presided over the release of the landmark report from the Commission, which confirmed that --causing 3x more deaths than HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria combined, and 15x more deaths than wars and all forms of violence.
The report's findings made headlines around the world. The Washington Post's editorial concluded that "The Lancet study should remind leaders in the United States and elsewhere that, though there are costs associated with restricting pollution, countries also incur costs by failing to do so." Fareed Zakaria issued a passionate commentary about
The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health is an initiative of The Lancet, the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, with additional coordination and input from United Nations Environment, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the World Bank.

Toxic Sites Identification Program

Pure Earth's works to identify and screen contaminated sites in low- and middle-income countries where public health is at risk. Pure Earth has trained more than 400 toxic sites investigators around the world to find, map and assess polluted sites that pose health risks in their communities. To date, TSIP investigators have identified more than 3,100 sites in over 50 countries. These sites alone represent a potential health risk to more than 80 million poor people.
The data collected by TSIP investigators is entered into Pure Earth's database of polluted sites, the largest database of its kind. This information is made accessible to governments so that they can formulate plans to prioritize action on pollution that poses the most risk to populations.
The public can view the data at

The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP)

In July 2012, Pure Earth convened a third meeting of world leaders and experts on pollution at the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center in Italy. The Global Alliance on Health and Pollution was formed that year by Pure Earth, the World Bank, UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO, Asian Development Bank, the European Commission, Ministries of Environment and Health of many low- and middle-income countries to address pollution and health at scale. Blacksmith serves as Secretariat for the GAHP. Blacksmith began coordinating an international effort to create a global alliance in 2008. The effort was formerly called the Health and Pollution Fund.

The Journal Of Health and Pollution

Published by Pure Earth, the is a quarterly on-line journal of peer reviewed research and news. JH&P is grant funded by the World Bank and the European Union. There are no charges to readers or authors. JH&P aims to facilitate discussion of toxic pollution, impacts to human health and strategies for site remediation. The journal focuses on work by researchers from or about under-represented low- and middle-income countries.

Key Projects

In 2010, Pure Earth's impact was charted in a profile of its founder Richard Fuller in Time's "Power of One" column.
2015 saw the release of the book

Name Change

Pure Earth was founded as the Blacksmith Institute in 1999.
In 2014, Blacksmith launched a new initiative – Blacksmith Institute for a Pure Earth – with English actor Dev Patel as celebrity ambassador. Patel worked closely with Blacksmith to suggest the new name, and will help support efforts to raise awareness about toxic pollution, an issue he says he first grew aware of after filming in India. Blacksmith will slowly transition to a new name – Pure Earth – with the aim of broadening awareness of global toxic pollution issues to the general public.

World's Worst Polluted Places Reports

For over a decade, Pure Earth's World’s Worst Pollution Problems reports identified and drew attention to the worst, and most dangerously polluted places on the planet, while documenting and quantifying the startling health and environmental impacts of this neglected problem. The series of reports succeeded in raising global awareness about the extent and impacts of toxic pollution in low- and middle-income countries. All reports are archived at http://worstpolluted.org

2016 report: The Toxics Beneath Our Feet (Top Polluting Industries)

The World's Worst Polluted Places in 2013 :
Top Ten Worst Toxic Pollution Problems:
The report identifies and quantifies the impacts of the most damaging toxic pollutants. The Top Six Toxic Threats are:
The report lists 10 programs, unranked, as examples of successful efforts to reduce the toll of pollution on human health. It also includes two initiatives with worldwide impact.
As of September 2007, the Institute lists the following as the world's ten most polluted places :