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ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION.
At the end of 1954 the Council agreed to a suggestion
by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research to
instal a volumetric apparatus to procure the measurement of
smoke and sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere; this instrument
was installed in the Public Health Department at the Town
Hall at the end of January. The first monthly return of the
daily mean concentration of sulphur dioxide and smoke in the
atmosphere was made to the Department of Scientific and
Industrial Research in the following month and regular monthly
returns have continued since that time. During periods of fog
it is necessary that measurements be taken three or four times
per day, the work being done by one of the District Sanitary
Inspectors, who is also a qualified Smoke Inspector. He was
already in charge of the instruments provided on the roof of
the Queen's Road Health Centre, St. Mary's Road, for recording
the monthly deposited matter, and estimation of sulphur
by the lead peroxide method.
The volumetric method of measuring the daily mean
concentration of smoke and sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere
is expressed in milligrams per cubic metre, and parts per million
of air respectively. In this connection it is interesting to note
that the highest daily average of both was on 11-12th October
during a period of fog at night and in the early morning, and
the lowest during the week-end of 1st and 2nd August when
the weather was clear and sunny. The average daily mean
concentration of smoke for the eleven months recorded was .158
milligrams per cubic metre, the highest in the month of November
with .296 and the lowest August with .082. The average daily
mean concentration of sulphur dioxide for the eleven months
recorded was .066 parts per million, the highest the month of
March with .113 and the lowest August with .029.
The information obtained during the year from the deposit
gauge and lead peroxide instrument at Queen's Road Health
Centre, and the measurements obtained from the Volumetric
Apparatus are shown in graph form on the following pages.