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
Southwark 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southwark, Borough of]
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The Council has in use two Standard Deposit Gauges, three Lead Peroxide Instruments and one Smoke and Volumetric Sulphur-Dioxide Apparatus.
| Sulphur Dioxide (Lead Peroxide Method) (mgm S03/sq. cm./day) | Mean Daily Concentration of | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sulphur Dioxide parts per 100 million | Smoke mgms/m3 | ||||
| Walworth Road | St. George's | Bankside | Walworth Road | ||
| January | 5.81 | 3.73 | 6.01 | 22.0 | 1.17 |
| February | 6.06 | 3.97 | 6.07 | 17.7 | 0.65 |
| March | 4.52 | — | 4.57 | 18.6 | 0.62 |
| April | 4.20 | 2.81 | 3.83 | - | - |
| May | 2.41 | 1.54 | 2.48 | 4.3* | 0.12* |
| June | 1.35 | 0.98 | 1.61 | 2.3 | 0.19 |
| July | 1.74 | 1.01 | 2.00 | 2.8 | 0.13 |
| August | 1.99 | 1.16 | 2.35 | 3.1 | 0.09 |
| September | 2.66 | 1.63 | 3.20 | 5.2 | 0.16 |
| October | 3.92 | 2.36 | 4.10 | 8.9 | 0.38 |
| November | 5.4 | 3.5 | 6.4 | 13.7 | 0.54 |
| December | 5.1 | 3.2 | 5.3 | 27.7 | 0.52 |
| ♦Observations 14th-31st May | |||||
Deposited matter at following sites :—
| 1956 | Bankside | Walworth Road | Greenmore Wharf | Bankside Jetty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Recorded by Borough Council) | (Recorded by Central Electricity Authority) | |||
| Tons per square mile | ||||
| January | 43.1 | 37.7 | 36.8 | 24.7 |
| February | 21.9 | 8.4 | 18.3 | 9.3 |
| March | 25.3 | 28.8 | 43.7 | 19.5 |
| April | 26.3 | 25.4 | 26.6 | 15.9 |
| May | 14.3 | 13.7 | — | 28.7 |
| June | 24.6 | 16.6 | 33.1 | 9.7 |
| July | 31.2 | 18.3 | 31.3 | 14.3 |
| August | 34.0 | 26.6 | 22.1 | 4.7 |
| September | 21.8 | 16.4 | 32.2 | 17.0 |
| October | 20.8 | 25.9 | 18.7 | 13.9 |
| November | 16.2 | 18.8 | 22.6 | 15.9 |
| December | 30.0 | 25.0 | 33.0 | 17.6 |
During the year, 14 complaints were received regarding smoke
emissions: 242 observations and inspections were made by the
Inspector, and 11 Intimation Notices issued.
The Council supported representations made by Islington Borough
Council against the proposal of the London Transport Executive to
replace trolley buses with diesel engined buses. It was contended
that the resulting increase in exhaust fumes may constitute a
serious danger to health in the light of recent enquiries into lung
cancer.