London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Barking 1961

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Barking]

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This Order relates to an area of 288 acres comprising 2,365 dwellings all in
private ownership and it is expected to come into operation on 1st November, 1962.
Industrial Smoke
Five notifications of intention to install new furnaces were received during
the year, all of which were to be oil fired. Of the one hundred and thirteen furnaces
used in industrial premises in the Borough, fifty-one are fired with oil, thirty-nine
with solid smokeless fuel, fourteen with bituminous coal and nine with wood waste.
Whilst 80% of the industrial furnaces are capable of being operated smokelessly
there is still room for improvement in emissions from the Electricity Generating Station,
Creekmouth, and the Beckton Gas Works. It is to be hoped that despite the difficuities
involved, these two nationalised industries will press forward plans to
reduce to a minimum the pollution arising from these sources.
Co-operation with other Authorities
The Council continued to take part in discussions with neighbouring authorities
concerning smoke control problems. One of the most urgent needs appears to
be to ensure that all the neighbouring authorities initiate action in this matter.
Some are making little progress, others initiating merely token activity which
reduces the effect of the efforts made by their more active neighbours.
The Council is represented at the Standing Conference of Co-operating Bodies
for atmospheric pollution which co-ordinates the work of measuring pollution through
out the country and assessing the results.
Record of Factory Chimney Observations carried out during 1961
The number of observations on factory chimneys in the Borough during 1961
total 177. There were four contraventions of the Dark Smoke (Permitted Periods)
Regulations 1958 which were brought to the notice of the operators of the installations
concerned.
Measurement of Pollution
During the year a second volumetric filter apparatus was installed in the
school in Rosslyn Road. It is hoped to obtain evidence of the efficacy of the
domestic smoke control measures in Smoke Control Area No. 3 by comparing
readings taken before and after the adaptation of grates in the area.
On the following pages graphs Nos.l and 2 show the levels of pollution
throughout the year as measured by the daily volumetric filter and hydrogen
peroxide apparatus at Eastbury House. An average of the daily readings a
been taken to arrive at a figure for each month.
Graph No.3 is prepared from the monthly average of readings from the deposit
gauges sited at Greatfields Park and the Thames View Estate.
These gauges now measure the grit and dust pollution of the atmospher which
is not soluble in rainwater and the readings for the last two years are give in
Table 20.
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