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Grit and Unburnt Fuel. In spite of a ten per cent increase in the
consumption of coal over the ten year period, there was a significant
decrease in the amount of unburnt fuel particles deposited. This
decrease may be attributed to the efforts made over a number of years
to increase the efficiency of combustion in those types of industrial
plant which are the usual main source of these deposits. However, this
improvement was more than offset by a considerable increase in the
deposition of ash, this pollutant also comes largely from industrial
boilers.
Smoke and Sulphur Dioxide. The trends in pollution by these
pollutants appear to have been downward no doubt, arising from
improved combustion methods referred to above. A further reduction
of smoke and some reduction in the concentration of sulphur dioxide
at ground level are likely to have resulted from the increased use of
gas and electricity in substitution for domestic coal.
Seasonal differences. The results indicated an average increase
from summer to winter of seven per cent in deposition of undissolved
matter and of twenty-eight per cent in dissolved matter. This observation
is in conformity with the view that most of the deposit grit is
emitted from industrial installations, the fuel consumption of which
shows less seasonal variation than that for domestic heating.
Smoke Control Area
The Thames View Estate is a smoke control area, it being a
condition of tenancy that only smokeless fuel shall be used on the
Estate.
Some difficulty over the delivery and use of coke were encountered,
particularly in the cold weather. Some suppliers alleged there was a
resistance by their employees to delivering coke owing to the state of
the roads. This hardly seemed valid as they were prepared to deliver
coal.
The resistance of consumers arose mainly from the delay in
delivery, not from an aversion to coke.
So far as could be ascertained, there was no shortage of coke in
l^e district and it was felt that suppliers could have been more active
m maintaining stocks for these customers and that customers could
assist by placing orders earlier.
Warning letters were sent to offending tenants and the suppliers
were invited to co-operate more fully in an effort to make the scheme
a success. The matter continues to engage the attention of your
officers.
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