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
Greenwich 1952
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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45
Besides giving the pH value of rainfall, Table II compares
the analysis of the solids deposited in December 1951 with those
of 1952.
TABLE II—Rainfall and Deposited Matter (Deposited Matter in tons per square mile per month)
| Dec. 1951 | Dec. 1952 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall | mm. | 56 | 66 |
| pH value | 4.37 | 4.37 | |
| Deposited Matter | |||
| Ca | 1.61 | 1.57 | |
| C1 | 1.95 | 2.34 | |
| SO4 | 5.94 | 0.99 | |
| Soluble in CS2 | 0.37 | 1.97 | |
| Other combustible | 14.44 | 17.10 | |
| Ash | 20.72 | 22.76 | |
| Total Solids | 48.42 | 58.01 | |
An overall picture of the amount of solids, soluble and insoluble,
deposited each month is given in Graph 'A' and it will be apparent
that the curve of monthly registered deaths which has been superimposed,
follows very generally, the line indicating the pollution.
Graph 'B' gives the monthly averages of air pollution by
Sulphur Dioxide and Smoke, together with the highest daily
average concentrations.
It can be seen that, compared with December 1951, there was a
considerable increase in concentration of Sulphur Dioxide during
December 1952 and that the highest daily average was substantially
more than double.
With Smoke, however, the pollution in December, 1952 shows
only a comparatively small increase over the same period in 1951,
although again the highest daily concentration was roughly double.
Once more the superimposed 'monthly registered deaths'
curves tend to follow those of Sulphur Dioxide and Smoke concentrations.