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LEAD CONTAMINATION
With the increase in traffic in Upper Street it was considered desirable to carry out an
exercise to ascertain if possible the atmospheric lead concentration and whether there was
any danger to people living or working in the area, having regard to the fact that lead is a
cumulative poison. An 8-port valve semi-automatic instrument was set up in the front of the
Health Department building facing Upper Street, N. 1. on the second floor and daily filter
paper recordings were taken. The monthly totals were sent to the Public Analyst who reported
on the amount of lead found, expressed in microgrammes per cubic metre of air for the month,
as follows:

The amount of lead in the atmosphere in Upper Street shown by the recordings given
above is not considered harmful. A great deal of work has been carried out on lead emissions
but in no case has an unduly high concentration of lead in the atmosphere been found.
There is as yet no evidence that lead additives in petrol give rise to toxic lead
emissions in the exhaust of motor vehicles. The maximum recommended concentration in 8 hour
daily exposure in industry is 200 microgrammes per cubic metre. It is, of course, necessary
that the amount of lead concentration in the atmosphere continues to be kept under study.