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 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Westminster, City of]
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42
Noise Nuisance
Complaints 32
Investigations made 38
The noise of which complaint was made concerned that caused by
compressors, pneumatic drills, brass bands, juke boxes, radios, record
players, a miniature rifle range, the loading of lorries in early hours of
the morning accompanied by whistling and singing, printing works,
and machinery used in demolition and building works.
Atmospheric Pollution
Investigation into the atmospheric pollution in the City was continued
during the year at three sites, Mayfair, Pimlico and Charing Cross,
where deposit gauges, which measure the deposited pollution, and lead
peroxide cylinders, which measure the sulphur activity, are sited. The
following table gives the results of the monthly analyses, and shows
separately the amounts of insoluble and soluble constituents.
Monthly deposits of impurities—tons per square mile.
| Month. | Mayfair. | Pimlico. | Charing Cross. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insol. | Sol. | Total. | Insol. | Sol. | Total. | Insol. | Sol. | Total. | |
| January | 15.14 | 24.55 | 39.69 | 16.10 | 16.61 | 32.71 | 45.57 | 23.23 | 68.80 |
| February | 17.29 | 21.48 | 38.77 | 17.38 | 18.89 | 36.27 | 42.58 | 21.44 | 64.02 |
| March | 20.56 | 11.46 | 32.02 | 19.13 | 14.50 | 33.63 | 23.16 | 22.10 | 45.26 |
| April | 12.44 | 18.41 | 30.85 | 14.86 | 15.50 | 30.36 | 14.73 | 16.73 | 31.46 |
| May | 12.85 | 8.97 | 21.82 | 27.72 | 12.38 | 40.10 | 13.61 | 10.35 | 23.96 |
| June | 13.16 | 18.41 | 31.57 | 22.65 | 31.65* | 54.30 | 17.39 | 22.87 | 40.26 |
| July | 11.93 | 11.93 | 23.86 | 14.30 | 11.31 | 25.61 | 13.51 | 11.28 | 24.79 |
| August | 9.71 | 26.22 | 35.93 | 19.03 | 23.26 | 42.29 | 10.72 | 17.42 | 28.14 |
| September | 11.15 | 11.76 | 22.91 | 18.19 | 12.58 | 30.77 | 13.31 | 17.92 | 31.23 |
| October | 12.79 | 8.52 | 21.31 | 15.10 | 8.39 | 23.49 | 18.98 | 7.04 | 26.02 |
| November | 13.81 | 10.57 | 24.38 | 11.74 | 11.81 | 23.55 | 18.91 | 12.41 | 31.32 |
| December | 15.55 | 11.46 | 27.01 | 21.00 | 15.10 | 36.10 | 14.93 | 13.54 | 28.47 |
*In the opinion of the Analyst, this is a false reading, probably due to contamination
by'bird droppings.
Estimation of sulphur activity by the lead peroxide method
The cylinders for the estimation of sulphur activity are situated at
Alhambra House, Farm Street Depot and Bess borough Street Clinic.