London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Erith 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Erith]
This page requires JavaScript
33
D (5)e Atmospheric Pollution
With the large number of industrial premises involved,
considerable time has had to be devoted to atmospheric
pollution problems and co-operation has been maintained
with factory management and where necessary, with the
Alkali Inspector and the Factory Inspectorate.
The Erith Borough Council is represented on the
Thames-side Advisory Committee for the Abatement of
Atmospheric Pollution and in this connection a monthly
deposit gauge, a lead peroxide gauge and a volumetric
apparatus are maintained for the collection of the necessary
data.
(A) The monthly results of analysis for the deposit gauge and lead peroxide gauge are as follows:—
| Month | Deposit gauge | Lead peroxide gauge Sulphur mg/100 sq. cms/day | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain in inches | Insoluble deposit Tons per sq. mile | Soluble deposit Tons per sq mile | Total Solids Tons per sq mile | Calcium Tons per sq. mile | ||
| January | 1.26 | 6.27 | 15.84 | 22.11 | 3.28 | 3.53 |
| February | 0.65 | 33.60 | 10.87 | 44.47 | 2.34 | 2.47 |
| March | 2.19 | 10.57 | 8.99 | 19.56 | 1.49 | 1.31 |
| April | 1.93 | 7.78 | 7.38 | 15.16 | 1.31 | 1.20 |
| May | 1.71 | 7.03 | 4.26 | 11.29 | 0.55 | 1.11 |
| June | 2.33 | 9.79 | 8.12 | 17.91 | 1.21 | 0.59 |
| July | 1.38 | 8.80 | 6.81 | 15.61 | 1.30 | 0.59 |
| August | 2.82 | 5.42 | 6.31 | 11.73 | 0.91 | 0.51 |
| September | 2.00 | 5.22 | 8.99 | 14.21 | 1.69 | 0.87 |
| October | 1.51 | 5.50 | 6.85 | 12.34 | 1.32 | 1.13 |
| November | 3.33 | 2.99 | 6.71 | 9.70 | 0.97 | 1.03 |
| December | 0.48 | 8.45 | 8.12 | 16.57 | 1.91 | 2.01 |
| Monthly Average | 17.56 | 1.52 | 1.36 | |||
| Monthly average for 1962 | 15.68 | 1.30 | 1.63 | |||
The volumetric apparatus is read each day in order to
obtain figures for smoke and sulphur dioxide concentrations.
A large proportion of the increase which occurs during the
winter months is regarded as arising from domestic premises.
The comparison of the highest readings this year with
the highest readings of 1962, expressed as microgrammes per
cubic metre of air, is as follows:—
Smoke Sulphur dioxide
26th January, 1963 1049 1742
5th December, 1962 1264 2511
Whereas formerly it was possible to plead, in defence
of Proceedings relating, to the emission of dark smoke from
factory premises, that the contravention was due to the
inability to remedy faulty buildings or equipment, it has
since 5th July, 1963, no longer been possible to do so.