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
Ealing 1956
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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20
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
During the year further complaints were received from
the Birkbeck Residents Association on behalf of residents
in the Long Drive Area regarding the alleged nuisances
from fumes dust and smoke stated to be emitted from a
heavy industrial factory in this area. Complaints were
investigated and full reports of the circumstances were
presented at regular intervals throughout the year to the
Public Health Committee. In an effort to discover whether
any further steps could be taken by the factory in ques
tion to improve matters the Council appointed a recommen
ded firm of consulting chemical engineers to inspect the
processes at the factory and to submit a report to the
Council, Prior apDroval to this course had already been
obtained from the Company concerned A comprehensive
report was received and copies were circulated to every
member of the Council The report was of assistance to
the Council in so far as the specific complaints were
dealt with in detail the processes described and the
steps which the firm were proposing to take to still fur
ther improve their works technique were outlined. Subsequent
to this report a meeting took place in the autumn
between the Public Health Committee representatives of
the Company and representatives of the Birkbeck Residents
Association,
For a period of sixteen months from the 1st February 1955 to the 2nd July, 1956 an atmospheric deposit gauge and a lead peroxide instrument were sited in close proxim ity to the factory and the following tables give the average deposits over this period:
| Deposited matter expressed as tons per square mile per month | Sulphur compounds by lead peroxide method expressed as milligrams 80_/day collected by 100 sq. cm. of Batch A PbO 2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Average for 16 months 1.2,55 -2.7,56. (Ranging from | Average for 16 months 1,2,55 -2,7.56 (Ranging from | ||
Over the past four years, the Compaay concerned have
adopted anew technique on the advice of the Alkali Inspec
tor to reduce the emission into the atmosphere of fluorine
which was suspected of being a cause of damage to vegeta
tion. They have also had expert advice on the efficient