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Smoke Observations
In addition to the day to day surveillance of chimneys
already referred to, smoke observations of thirty minutes
duration were carried out during the year. These resulted in
five contraventions being recorded. Warning letters were
sent in three cases and the other two were the subject of
prosecutions, details of which have been given.
There were one third of the number of contraventions
recorded in 1958, a probable result of the installation of
new plant and instruments being put in hand by a number of
factory owners.
Measurement of Atmospheric Pollution
The measurement of solid deposit and sulphur dioxide
pollution of the atmosphere continues to be made. As will
be seen from the chart there has again been a reduction in
the average soot fall recorded in Barking.
From the tables noted on pages 71 and 72 it will be
seen that there has been no corresponding reduction in the
sulphur dioxide pollution over the years. Work is going on
continuously in an effort to discover an economic process
of measuring this gas from the flue gases before discharge
to the atmosphere.
There are processes in use in two London power
stations but it costs nearly ten shillings for every ton of
coal burned in the furnaces to deal with the sulphur dioxide
in the flue gases. All fuels, including oil and smokeless
fuels contain sulphur in varying degrees and it may be that
the best way to deal with the problem would be to remove
the sulphur from the fuel rather than from the flue gases. It
has been held that so far as coal is concerned a great reducetion
could be effected by cleansing coal properly at the pit
head but any method would undoubtedly result in an increas
in price.
Until advances are made in the field of sulphur
efforts must be concentrated on the types of pollution which
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