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
Bexley 1958
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Bexley]
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ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION.
The Council is represented on the Thameside Advisory Committee for the Abatement of Atmospheric Pollution. By arrangement with this Committee a deposit gauge is installed on the roof of the Education Office in Brampton Road, Bexleyheath, and the following table gives the results obtained during 1958.
| MONTH | TONS PER SQUARE MILE. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall inches | Total water insoluble matter | Soluble in C.S.2. | Ash | Other combustible matter | Total water soluble matter | Calcium | Chlorine | Sulphates | Total solids | |
| January | 1.33 | 6.95 | 0.16 | 5.03 | 1.76 | 6 64 | 0.87 | 1.04 | 2.74 | 13.60 |
| February | 1.51) | 7.64 | 0.17 | 5.80 | 1.67 | 7.11 | 0.87 | 0.94 | 2.31 | 14.75 |
| March | 1.00 | 8.72 | 0.12 | 6.87 | 1.73 | 8.59 | 1.24 | 1.01 | 3.10 | 17.31 |
| April | 1.47 | 8.09 | 0.15 | 6.21 | 1.73 | 5.54 | 0.94 | 0.60 | 2.40 | 13.63 |
| May | 1.64 | 9.41 | 0.08 | 7.92 | 1.41 | 7.45 | 1.48 | 0.60 | 2.28 | 16.86 |
| June | 5.23 | 1007.75 | 1.21 | 975.45 | 31.09 | 46.72 | 13.16 | 3.42 | 9.84 | 1054.47 |
| July | 1.52 | 6.60 | 0.09 | 4.26 | 2 25 | 4.90 | 0.81 | 0.47 | 2.15 | 11.50 |
| August | 4.62 | 5.76 | 0.13 | 3.31 | 2.32 | 6.71 | 0.94 | 0.67 | 2.71 | 12.47 |
| September | 5.85 | 9.00 | 0.12 | 5.88 | 3.01 | 14.36 | 3.22 | 1.07 | 4.26 | 23.36 |
| October | 3.79 | 5.53 | 0.08 | 3.87 | 1.58 | 7.92 | 1.48 | 1.14 | 3.76 | 13.45 |
| November | 0.46 | 2.82 | 0.10 | 1.74 | 0.97 | 6 49 | 1.34 | 0.65 | 3.35 | 9.31 |
| December | 2.49 | 9.73 | 0.13 | 7.15 | 2.45 | 7.82 | 0.81 | 1.07 | 3.25 | 17.55 |
A Lead Peroxide instrument for estimating atmospheric sulphur-dioxide is situate near the deposit gauge and the results for the year are set out below.—
| MONTH | Area Exposed | Weight of Ba SO. | Wt. of so3 Collected | Mg. of S03/day Collected by 100 sq cm. of Batch A Pb Og (Louvered Cover) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Sample | In Control | Due to Exposure | ||||
| Sq. Cm. | Mg. | Mg. | Mg. | Mg /100 sq. Cm./day | ||
| January | 100 | 305.6 | 3.4 | 302.2 | 3.14 | 2.83 |
| February | 95 | 193.8 | 3.5 | 190.3 | 2.45 | 2.21 |
| March | 95 | 241.2 | 2.8 | 238.4 | 2.97 | 2.67 |
| April | 95 | 160.2 | 5.8 | 154.4 | 1.86 | 1.67 |
| May | 100 | 71.2 | 1.3 | 69.9 | 0.75 | 0.68 |
| June | 95 | 78.6 | 1.4 | 77.2 | 0.96 | 0.86 |
| July | 100 | 87.4 | 0.6 | 86.8 | 0.96 | 0.86 |
| August | 95 | 57.4 | 0.8 | 56.6 | 0.66 | 0.59 |
| September | 90 | 106.2 | 0.7 | 105.5 | 1.34 | 1.21 |
| October | 100 | 185.2 | 2.9 | 182.3 | 1.89 | 1.70 |
| November | 100 | 233.6 | 1.6 | 234.0 | 2.87 | 2.58 |
| December | 100 | 287.4 | 3.8 | 283.6 | 3.14 | 2.83 |