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 London 1922
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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26
SMOKE AND ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION.
Eleven instances of smoke nuisance or annoyance from chimneys were dealt
with during the year. Some of these were of a temporary character and did not
recur, others were abated upon service of the usual form of notice upon the offenders
and there has been no occasion to take further action.
As mentioned in previous Reports, the annoyance and the evil from coal smoke
cannot satisfactorily be dealt with by law until the enactments at present in force
are strengthened or amended. Much dirt and discomfort from smoke continues,
although to a distinctly lesser degree than in former years, and for which the enormous
number of the chimneys, domestic and otherwise, in surrounding Greater
London are largely responsible. Difficulties in the way of obtaining suitable coal
are still stated to be a source of trouble.
A critical examination of the air in the City was commenced in the year 1914,
in conjunction with the Committee for the Investigation of Atmospheric Pollution,
appointed by the International Exhibition and Conference in London, 1912, and an
apparatus consisting of a large rain gauge is mounted upon the roof of one of the
Corporation's buildings in Golden Lane, and the rain-water from a known area of
surface is collected monthly. This rain-water, containing the soot, grit and dust
washed from the air, has been submitted for examination to the Public Analyst and
the results tabulated. For comparison the results obtained from similar observations
made at the Archbishop's Park, Lambeth, by the London County Council are
added.
SUMMARY OF MONTHLY OBSERVATIONS AND REPORTS DURING THE YEAR 1922.
| Month of the Year 1922. | Place. | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall in millimetres. | Metric tons of deposit per square kilometre during month. | ||||||||||
| Insoluble matter | Soluble matter. | Total solids. | Included in soluble matter. | ||||||||
| Tar. | Carbonaceous other than tar. | Ash. | Loss on ignition. | Ash. | Sulphate as (SO3). | Chlorine (CI) | Ammonia (NH3). | ||||
| January | City of London | 62 | 0.08 | 3.34 | 3.99 | 2.48 | 3.47 | 13.35 | 1.70 | 1.41 | 0.37 |
| Lambeth (Archbishop's Park) | 56 | 0.11 | 1.55 | 1.84 | 1.67 | 3.10 | 8.27 | 1.39 | 0.72 | 0.23 | |
| February | City of London | 50 | 0.04 | 2.12 | 2.90 | 1.80 | 3.41 | 10.28 | 1.24 | 1.03 | 0.18 |
| Lambeth | 51 | 0.23 | 5.38 | 9.22 | 1.52 | 4.24 | 20.59 | 2.39 | 0.69 | 0.ll | |
| March | City of London | 37 | 0.04 | 2.06 | 3.48 | 2.34 | 2.05 | 9.98 | 1.00 | 1.17 | 0.18 |
| Lambeth | 40 | 0.13 | 1.60 | 2.40 | 1.13 | 2.37 | 7.63 | 1.23 | 0.67 | 0.10 | |
| April | City of London | 68 | 0.06 | 3.73 | 4.39 | 2.46 | 3.00 | 13.64 | 1.69 | 1.36 | 0.24 |
| Lambeth | 73 | 0.13 | 2.13 | 2.82 | 2.47 | 3.40 | 10.95 | 2.11 | 0.77 | 0.17 | |
| May | City of London | 18 | 0.05 | 2.52 | 3.81 | 0.66 | 1.77 | 8.82 | 0.66 | 0.55 | 0.11 |
| Lambeth | 31 | 0.19 | 4.17 | 7.49 | 1.25 | 2.50 | 15.60 | 0.90 | 0.50 | 0.10 | |
| June | City of London | 15 | 0.06 | 4.48 | 9.60 | 1.38 | 5.64 | 21.17 | 1.81 | 1.07 | 0.15 |
| Lambeth | 20 | 0.12 | 2.30 | 3.68 | 0.80 | 1.52 | 8.42 | 0.59 | 0.35 | 0.08 | |
| July | City of London | 92 | 0.04 | 3.50 | 4.40 | 1.83 | 3.66 | 13.44 | 2.14 | 1.10 | 0.37 |
| Lambeth | 90 | 0.19 | 4.34 | 7.36 | 0.90 | 3.29 | 16.08 | 1.56 | 0.70 | 0.20 | |
| August | City of London | 67 | 0.04 | 4.34 | 4.25 | 1.87 | 3.73 | 14.23 | 1.92 | 0.76 | 0.29 |
| Lambeth | 59 | 0.15 | 2.81 | 4.80 | 1.28 | 2.81 | 11.85 | 1.38 | 0.39 | 0.08 | |
| September | City of London | 29 | 0.10 | 6.18 | 6.50 | 1.39 | 4.41 | 18.58 | 1.95 | 0.49 | 0.25 |
| Lambeth | 51 | 0.07 | 1.39 | 2.29 | 1.22 | 3.11 | 8.08 | 1.55 | 0.42 | 0.16 | |
| October | City of London | 36 | 0.06 | 3.78 | 5.65 | 2.02 | 4.47 | 15.98 | 2.18 | 0.84 | 0.29 |
| Lambeth | 23 | 0.03 | 0.39 | 0.38 | 2.15 | 5.34 | 8.29 | 2.17 | 0.76 | 0.11 | |
| November | City of London | 31 | 0.04 | 2.26 | 3.16 | 1.63 | 2.64 | 9.73 | 1.29 | 0.62 | 0.23 |
| Lambeth | 29 | 0.17 | 1.98 | 4.85 | 1.05 | 3.09 | 11.14 | 1.24 | 0.46 | 0.14 | |
| December | City of London | 68 | 0.05 | 2.99 | 4.30 | 2.44 | 4.61 | 14.39 | 2.70 | 1.21 | 0.40 |
| Lambeth | 73 | 0.11 | 2.13 | 2.77 | 1.67 | 4.61 | 11.29 | 1.76 | 0.83 | 0.28 | |
The foregoing table shows the rainfall for the months of January to December
of the year 1922, and the amounts found of insoluble matter, tar, soot and dust,
also the soluble matter, together with the sulphates, ammonia and chlorine in the
volume collected.
The results as given by the Public Analyst have been re.calculated into metric
tons per square kilometre during each month.