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 1962
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Ealing]
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Average Monthly Concentrations of Smoke and Sulphur Dioxide (Daily Volumetric Instruments)
| 1962 | Smoke in Microgrammes per cubic metre | Sulphur Dioxide in Microgrammes per cubic metre | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town Hall | Eliots Green School | Walpole Grammar School | Town Hall | Eliots Green School | Walpole Grammar School | |
| Jan. | 87.7 | 41.9 | 63.2 | 330.4 | 149.4 | 174.1 |
| Feb. | 90.8 | 97.9 | 71.3 | 220.6 | 167.8 | 125.0 |
| March | 117.3 | 96.5 | 128.5 | 238.6 | 256.3 | 260.2 |
| April | 50.8 | * | * | 164.1 | * | * |
| May | 35.6 | 24.9 | 45.5 | 100.7 | 85.8 | 87.3 |
| June | 18.2 | 17.7 | 18.4 | 92.3 | 90.6 | 126.0 |
| July | 25.0 | 41.8 | 21.4 | 131.8 | 85.8 | 92.0 |
| August | 22.2 | * | * | 103.7 | * | * |
| Sept. | 32.0 | 58.2 | 43.8 | 107.7 | 95.2 | 116.0 |
| Oct. | 108.0 | 116.0 | 136.0 | 353.0 | 190.0 | 275.0 |
| Nov. | 115.2 | 136.2 | 213.3 | 403.5 | 248.9 | 338.4 |
| Dec. | 227.1 | 252.0 | 224.1 | 907.8 | 730.4 | 821.7 |
| Average for year | 77.5 | 88.3 | 96.5 | 262.8 | 210.0 | 241.6 |
*School holidays.
The "Smog" of December, 1962
The information contained in the table given below indicates the increased level
of atmospheric pollution measured at the three points at which daily readings are
taken, during the four day fog of the 4th to 7th of December. Figures for the preceding
and following weeks are given to provide a comparison. It will be seen that the weekly
average for smoke varied from two to nine times greater than in normal weather
conditions, and sulphur dioxide was from about four.and-a-half to eleven times
greater. These increases for Ealing are far less than those widely quoted in the press
and by radio and television for the London area during the period. The effect of the
Council's Smoke Control programme is not yet becoming apparent, with only nine
Orders in operation out of a possible total of 45, but progress in the ensuing years
will, it is anticipated, bring about a marked improvement at times when the natural
phenomenon of a temperature inversion gives rise to such weather conditions.
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