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
Lambeth 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lambeth Borough]
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78
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
CLEAN AIR ACT 1956
The year saw a marked increase in the acreage covered by proposed and
confirmed Smoke Control Orders. In February, two important Ministry
circulars were considered. The first (No. 3/62) modified and simplified the
administrative procedures leading up to the preparation and declaration of
Smoke Control Orders. The other (No. 4/62) invited the submission of a
proposed 5-year Smoke Control Programme for the years 1962/1966. The
programme is shown graphically on the sketch map (accompanying this
report) on page 80) (overleaf).
The following confirmed, operative or proposed Smoke Control Areas were in being by December, 1952 :-
| Area | |
|---|---|
| No. 1. | 100 acres |
| No. 2. | 63.96 „ |
| No. 3. | 151.98 ,, |
| No. 4. | 40.83 , |
| No. 5. | 3 8.30 ,, |
| No. 6. | 155.56 |
| 550.56 ,, | |
| at an estimated total cost of £43,525. | |
It is confidently anticipated that the Council's 5-year programme will
be more than adequately covered before 1966.
The proposed appointment of two technical assistants to the Smoke
Inspectors will further accelerate progress, but a note of warning must be
sounded in that administrative progress must keep step with the availability
of building potential, materials and smokeless solid fuels.
The pollution resulting from vehicular traffic continues to cause
concern, but it is understood that active research is being carried out at
the D.S.I.R. in this matter.
Adverse atmospheric conditions resulted in a repetition of the Great Fog
of 1952. During the period between Monday evening, 3rd December, 1962
and early Friday morning, 7th December, 1962, a fog blanketed South London
and visibility was down to less than 10 yards in many places. The results
shown by the Council's 5 Atmospheric Pollution Stations indicate that the
atmospheric conditions causing the incidence of fog also favoured the
accumulation of pollutants. A figure of 10 times normal has been quoted,
but even this may be incorrect as it is considered that the simple volumetic
measuring equipment in use, normally reasonably accurate, was literally
over-loaded at this period. The number of deaths in the County of London