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As will be seen, there was a steady decline in the particulate
matter deposited at this site amounting in the nine years to an overall
reduction of some 49 per cent. This improvement can undoubtedly
be related to the action taken at the Neasden Power Station where six
pulverised fuel furnaces in existence at the commencement of the
survey had by 1956 been converted to fuel oil burning, and it must
not be overlooked that in the Exhibtion Grounds generally, an
unknown number of steam raising and low pressure hot water boilers
were also converted during this time. At the end of the year there
were :—
70 oil burning boilers.
13 gas-fired boilers.
28 coke-fired boilers.
4 coal-fired boilers.
1 wood burning boiler.
It is interesting to compare this result with the findings of the
Warren Spring Laboratory that from 1952—1959 the emission of
smoke over the country as a whole was reduced by 17 per cent., and
in London from 1953—1959 by 46 per cent.
In March, 1962, the Council resolved, at the invitation of the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to participate in the
National Survey of Atmospheric Pollution, which, by a three to fiveyear
nation-wide investigation, seeks to establish a normal background
pollution level of smoke and sulphur dioxide in districts of similar
character.
Daily recordings commenced at four stations, Wembley County
School, Claremont County School, Kingsbury County School, and
the G.E.C. Research Laboratory, Exhibition Grounds, on November
1st. The instruments have not yet been in use long enough for any
general conclusion to be drawn as to differences in pollution levels
in the various parts of the town or the effects of the Smoke Control
Orders, but were operating in time to record the notable upsurge in
smoke and sulphur content of the air during the foggy period of early
December. At the time of the fog the minimum temperatures
recorded in the grounds of the Town Hall were the lowest for any
three consecutive days in November or December (although very
much lower temperatures were to be reached later in the winter)
and almost all the products of combustion at this time of heavy fuel
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