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34
year a further site in the neighbourhood was being sought for the
establishment of a fourth smoke measurement station. Correct locations
for the two different types of station involve differing conditions and
the deposit station at the Children's hospital is by no means ideally
situated. However if the readings are taken in conjunction with those at
existing stations some further statistics in relation to local pollution can
no doubt be obtained. Details from the main stations are shown in the
accompanying table.
Sydenham Gasworks
During the year the number or the intensity of complaints with
regard to smoke and grit in the neighbourhood of Sydenham gasworks
increased and local concern was expressed at the possible effect on
health in the neighbourhood. In my annual report for 1952 I dealt in
detail with the effects of the smog which had occurred in December
of that year, and pointed out that on a ward basis it appeared that, with
regard to deaths from respiratory troubles during the smog, two wards
in the immediate neighbourhood of the gasworks were the worst in the
borough. At the same time a compilation of lung cancer deaths in the
seven years 1946/52 had been made in ward areas and it again appeared
that one of the wards in immediate conjunction with the gasworks, and
a ward in another part of the borough which might be affected
particularly by railway smoke, were the two wards with the highest
incidence in those seven years. It is always a little hazardous to issue
statistics based on relatively small numbers unless full explanations and
reservations can be given and appreciated. Since 1952 the ward statistics
for lung cancer have changed fairly considerably and those based on
the total period, i.e. before 1952 and after 1952, do not indicate any
significant increase in lung cancer mortality in the ward in which the
gasworks is situated, bearing in mind the increase in lung cancer over
the whole country.
As far as the measurement of atmospheric pollution is concerned,
all the evidence which has been accumulated over the last few years
has been to the effect that pollution in the neighbourhood of the
gasworks has decreased both absolutely and even more so relatively to
the pollution in certain other parts of the borough. This objective
evidence bears out the knowledge that the gasworks' authorities have
done a considerable amount of work over the past years in reducing
nuisance as far as practicable. Nuisance is to some extent unavoidable
from any large-scale industrial process of this sort and it is quite
inevitable when horizontal retorts are used for gas-making.
As a result of various enquiries and investigations made it
appeared towards the end of the year that the only major step
(apart of course from the ideal ones of either ceasing to make gas in
Sydenham or using the Works there as only a holding station) would
be to ensure that only the better quality gas-making coal were made
available for the Works. The coal supplied to the Works is variable and