Norilsk, the world’s most northern city, has been dubbed one of the world’s most polluted cities by experts. The small city of about 176,000 started experiencing its pollution during the early days of the Soviet Union. As an area rich with precious metals, Norilsk remains a hotbed of mining at the expense of the ecosystem. An investigative series on the city done by Inside Climate News in association with NBC News and Undark Magazine established that the majority of pollution affecting Norilsk is produced by one major company, Norilsk Nickel. Related: First Nation residents exposed to dangerous levels of carcinogens Norilsk Nickel is the world’s leading producer of palladium and high-grade nickel.