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Atmospheric Pollution.
It is considered that some improvement has been effected during 1952 at the
factory premises giving cause for complaint in the previous year. Observations
have continued to be made, mainly at some half a dozen factories where the trouble
has persisted. However, it was not necessary to serve any formal notices during
the year.
Numerous complaints of carbon dust emitted from a factory in the Plumstead
area have been received in the past three years, and various suggestions made to
mitigate this problem have been acted upon by the owner. Several observations
were again made by the Council's Smoke Inspectors at this factory. Complaints
received during 1952 related also to smoke. Night observations have been carried
out at this factory on complaint from nearby residents that the trouble has occurred
mainly outside normal working hours; no nuisance was observed and observations
continue.
Several complaints have again been received from the railway staff at the
Abbey Wood Railway Station, of excessive smoke from a nearby factory, and
particularly from old furnaces situated near the railway station. The matter was
discussed with representatives of the firm, who informed the Council that these
old furnaces would not be used again, as new plant had been installed. Smoke
Inspectors have carried out further observations, and although at times smoke has
been noticed coming from the small furnaces, it has not, in the opinion of the
Smoke Inspectors, been of such a nature as to constitute a nuisance.
The emission of excessive smoke and grit from a riverside factory was the
subject of further complaint during the year. Considerable improvement has, however,
been effected at this factory, on the suggestions of the Department.
The London Fog.
The dense fog which occurred during December 1952 was one of the worst
on record, and affected Woolwich in common with other parts of the London area.
At the time of the fog there was a low ground temperature and little air movement,
and the sulphur dioxide content of the air was very much increased. There was a
sharp rise in the number of deaths due to influenza, pneumonia and other respiratory
diseases. The National Smoke Abatement Society has stated that only on four
occasions during the past one hundred years have the number of weekly deaths
in the County of London exceeded those in the week following the fog. During
the four weeks in question the deaths were due to cholera, fog and influenza (two
weeks). Deaths occurring locally during the fog period and immediately following
were spread over the whole of the Borough, although there was some concentration
in the Plumstead area, in an area bounded by Plumstead Common Road, Herbert
Road. Plumstead High Street and Wickham Lane.
The following table gives details of the total deaths registered in the Great
Towns of England and Wales, in the administrative County of London, and in
Woolwich during the period of the London fog, with comparative figures for 1951.

Information on the nature of the local deaths has been forwarded to the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research.
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