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
Bermondsey 1960
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1960
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INVESTIGATION OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
During the year the study of atmospheric pollution has been
continued in co-operation with the Department of Scientific and
Industrial Research. The following tables show the concentration
of smoke and sulphur-dioxide, as recorded at the Municipal Offices,
and the amount of deposited matter recorded by the deposit gauges
at Brunel Road, Rotherhithe, and the Public Health Centre, Grange
Road.
Concentration of Smoke and Sulphur Dioxide
| Month | Smoke expressed in mgs. per 100 cubic metres | Sulphur dioxide expressed in parts per 100 million | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Average | Highest Daily Average | Monthly Average | Highest Daily Average | |
| January | 48 | 173 | 13.6 | 38.2 |
| February | 40 | 110 | 11.1 | 26.2 |
| March | 30 | 64 | 10.5 | 18.2 |
| April | 16 | 35 | 8.2 | 18.2 |
| May | 18 | 54 | 8.1 | 16.1 |
| June | 7 | 21 | 5.5 | 13.0 |
| July | 11 | 20 | 4.9 | 9.6 |
| August | 12 | 23 | 4.8 | 10.1 |
| September | 13 | 35 | 5.1 | 16.6 |
| October | 40 | 108 | 8.0 | 11.6 |
| November | 43 | 107 | 7.9 | 17.0 |
| December | 60 | 120 | 11.8 | 24.1 |
Deposited Matter
| Month | Grange Road | Brunel Road | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain, ins. | Matter deposited in tons per sq. ml. | Rain, ins. | Matter deposited in tons per sq. ml. | |
| January | 1.44 | 21.58 | 0.30 | 5.84 |
| February | 1.66 | 21.84 | No analysis made | |
| March | 1.76 | 40.04 | 1.18 | 25.98 |
| April | 0.39 | 15.07 | 0.36 | 13.60 |
| May | 1.90 | *44.23 | 1.94 | 16.17 |
| June | 0.76 | 19.87 | 1.20 | 15.34 |
| July | 2.77 | 13.89 | 2.88 | 12.40 |
| August | 2.10 | 12.92 | 0.63 | 5.40 |
| September | 4.67 | 19.96 | 4.67 | 19.41 |
| October | 5.54 | 24.87 | 5.19 | 25.44 |
| November | 3.55 | 14.89 | 2.98 | 10.01 |
| December | 2.44 | 23.05 | 2.29 | 21.14 |
*Deposited matter contained considerable quantity of vegetable
debris from nearby trees. It was not possible to remove and disregard
it, and it has increased the figures to abnormally high values.