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
City of Westminster 1938
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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87
Atmospheric Pollution.
Investigations of the state of the atmosphere in the City were carried
out during the year and the results obtained are given below.
A description of the apparatus and methods employed for the collection
of this data was given in the report for the year 1937.
Deposited Impurities.
(1) The following table shows the results of the monthly analyses of the
impurities collected in the deposit gauges at Farm Street Depot,
Mayfair, and at the Coroner's Court, Horseferry Road.
| 1938. | Figures in English Tons per Square Mile. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horseferry Road, S.W.1. | Farm Street, W.1. | |||||
| Total Solids. | Sulphur SO3. | Daily Average. | Total Solids. | Sulphur. sO3. | Daily Average. | |
(2) The quantitative estimation of suspended impurities in the air
is carried out by means of the automatic air filter.
Chart "A" shows the amount of suspended impurities for an average
day of 1938, together with a similar curve for the years 1932 to 1937.
(3) Estimation of sulphur gas (as sulphur dioxide). Chart "B"
indicates graphically the amount of sulphur gas correlated with visibility,
wind direction and rainfall during 1938.
(4) The measurement of sulphur activity is obtained by the lead
peroxide method, which was described in the Report for 1937.
Three of the cylinders are installed in the City, and the results obtained
during the year are shown in the following table:—