London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Bexley 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bexley]
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ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION.
The Council is represented on the Thameside Advisory Committee for the Abatement of Atmospheric Pollution. By arrangement with this Committee a deposit gauge is installed on the roof of the Education Office in Brampton Road, Bexleyhealth, and the following table gives the results obtained during 1962.
| MONTH | Rainfall inches | Total water insoluble matter | Soluble in C.S.2. | Ash | Other combustible matter | Total water soluble matter | Calcium | Chlorine | Sulphates | Total solids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2.94 | 6.39 | 0.14 | 4.68 | 1.57 | 8.86 | 0.67 | 2.24 | 2.38 | 15.25 |
| February | 0.41 | 3.07 | 0.12 | 2.08 | 0.87 | 3.10 | 0.54 | 0.84 | 1.27 | 6.17 |
| March | 1.61 | 9.80 | 0.09 | 7.39 | 2.32 | 10.87 | 2.11 | 1.07 | 3.75 | 20.67 |
| April | 1.73 | 6.85 | 0.10 | 4.85 | 1.90 | 6.78 | 1.29 | 0.91 | 2.86 | 13.63 |
| May | 1.77 | 5.52 | 0.11 | 4.58 | 0.83 | 4.50 | 0.64 | 0.67 | 2.02 | 10.02 |
| June | 0.33 | 4.61 | 0.06 | 3.37 | 1.19 | 4.80 | 1.05 | 0.34 | 1.41 | 9.41 |
| July | 2.19 | 6.97 | 0.09 | 4.96 | 1.92 | 7.01 | 1.25 | 0.81 | 2.54 | 13.98 |
| August | 1.36 | 4.05 | 0.08 | 3.01 | 0.96 | 4.16 | 0.78 | 0.54 | 2.31 | 8.21 |
| September | 2.38 | 6.40 | 0.00 | 5.00 | 1.34 | 5.30 | 0.77 | 0.74 | 1.84 | 11.70 |
| October | 1.11 | 8.53 | 0.07 | 6.31 | 2.16 | 17.05 | 4.24 | 0.84 | 7.77 | 25.58 |
| November | 1.28 | 4.65 | 0.07 | 3.37 | 1.21 | 6.58 | 0.75 | 1.07 | 2.21 | 11.23 |
| December | 1.76 | 11.99 | 0.33 | 8.07 | 3.59 | 9.36 | 1.19 | 1.68 | 3.71 | 21.35 |
A Lead Peroxide instrument for estimating atmospheric suphur-dioxide is situate near the deposit gauge and the result for the year are set out below.—
| MONTH | Area Exposed | Weight of Ba SO4 | Wt. of SO3 Collected | Mg. of SO3/day Collected by 100 sq. cm. of Batch A Pb O2 (Louvered Cover) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Sample | In Control | Due to Exposure | ||||
| Sq. Cm. | Ms. | Mg. | Mg. | Mg /100 sq. Cm./day | ||
| January | 100 | 172.4 | 2.8 | 169.6 | 1.62 | 1.46 |
| Febuary | 95 | 142.8 | 1.7 | 141.1 | 1.82 | 1.64 |
| March | 90 | 226.2 | 2.5 | 223.7 | 2.66 | 2.39 |
| April | 100 | 131.4 | 1.2 | 130.2 | 1.54 | 1.39 |
| May | 100 | 112.6 | 0.9 | 111.7 | 1.24 | 1.12 |
| June | 95 | 81.2 | 1.0 | 80.2 | 0.93 | 0.84 |
| July | 100 | 91.6 | 1.2 | 90.4 | 1.03 | 0.93 |
| August | 90 | 50.4 | 1.0 | 49.4 | 0.57 | 0.51 |
| September | 100 | 80.6 | 1.2 | 79.4 | 0.97 | 0.87 |
| October | 95 | 205.8 | 1.3 | 204.5 | 2.38 | 2.14 |
| November | 100 | 220.8 | 1.8 | 219.0 | 2.35 | 2.12 |
| December | 95 | 258.8 | 3.8 | 255.0 | 3.17 | 2.85 |