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30
Synoposis of work done and samples examined
Much of the work of the branch comprises consultative and advisory duties and
these have continued to increase though the actual number of samples examined in 1953
showed a slight decrease compared with 1952 the respective figures being 25,268
against 26,642. The following table indicates the types of sample received for analysis
and the wide range covered by the work of the branch.
Air—tunnels 265
Air—miscellaneous 191
Bacteriological, miscellaneous 57
Building materials 422
Chemicals, drugs and medical supplies 80
Clay, sub-soils and borehole waters 1,221
Detergents and soaps 146
Disinfectants 6
Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs 114
Fire Extinguishers 9
Floor oils and polishes 56
Foods :
Baking Powder 10
Bread 82
Butter, margarine, cheese,
fats, etc. 41
Cocoa, coffee, tea 12
Condiments 17
Dried fruits and herbs 33
Fish 18
Flavouring essences 69
Flour, semolina, oatmeal,
custard powder, etc. 98
Gelatine 40
Gravy and soup powders,
gravy browning 29
Milk foods 31
Miscellaneous 63
Pickles 22
Sugar and syrup 20
Vegetable and meat extracts. 17
Tinned foods 84
686
Fuel (coal and coke) 32
Gases :
Degreasing and rubber
spreading works 41
Flue 180
Sludge digestion plant 475
Grit (from Power Stations) 32
Inks (marking, drawing and writing) 6
Insecticides 5
Instrument Sets (ambulance) for sterilisation
9
Insulating materials for hot water
systems 21
Lamps, gas detector 424
Laundry tests 33
Liquor (effluent from Beckton Gas
Works) 358
Meals 83
Metals (various) 51
Milk, condensed and powdered 16
Milk, liquid 140
Miscellaneous 115
Oils, lubricating and fuel, etc 79
Paints, varnishes and distempers 1,556
Petroleum and allied samples 116
Plastics 13
Rain water (atmospheric pollution
deposit gauges) 84
Rubber and rubber substitutes 19
Scale from boilers, etc. 6
Scouring powders and lavatory cleaners 25
Sewage and effluent 3,476
Sludge, activated 735
Sludge, primary and digested 2,701
Smoke in air, determinations 952
Soils 150
Sulphur gases in air, determinations :
Lead peroxide, cylinder method 130
Volumetric method 952
Water, etc., from steam raising plants 1,425
Water, drinking, bacteriological 670
Water, drinking, chemical 64
Water, drinking free chlorine tests 537
Water, river, chemical 4,564
Water, river bacteriological 305
Water, miscellaneous 85
Water, swimming bath, chemical 437
Water, swimming bath, free chlorine
tests 390
Water, swimming bath, bacteriological
523
Total 25,268
The following sections of this report deal in greater detail with many aspects of the
work done. In previous annual summaries it has been customary to classify the samples,
so far as this is possible, according to the particular service of the Council for which they
were examined; but this is somewhat difficult owing to overlapping. In this report the
classification is arranged according to the type of sample or investigation concerned,
and the main services and the purposes for which they utilise the facilities provided by
the Chemical Branch are as follows:
Rivers and Drainage—Sewage treatment, condition of River Thames, trade effluent
discharges, safety and ventilation of sewers, some corrosion and painting
problems, etc.