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61
Up to this, it has not been felt that the atmospheric pollution of this
district was sufficiently serious to warrant the Inspectors' being taken off
more urgent duties to free them to do the work necessary before additional
Smoke Control Orders could be met. The district was classified as a black
area not because of the extent to which the atmosphere is polluted, but
because much, though not all of it, was affected by the fog of December
1952. Nevertheless, it is hoped that the additional staff will not only
enable the arrears to be overtaken but more speedy progress to be made
so that Harrow can feel it is playing its part in improving the condition
of the atmosphere. Estimates from Warren Springs towards the end of the
year indicated that real progress is being made. The emission of smoke
over the country decreased from an estimated figure of 2.3 million tons
in 1952 to 1.9 in 1959. Progress in London was even more striking;
between 1953 and 1959 the emission of smoke was reduced from 152
thousand tons to eighty-two thousand tons.
Finance. From 1st June, the British Ironfounders Association
recommended their members should increase the cost of domestic solid
fuel appliances by 5%. The Council approved the increase, making the
approved sum £4 17s. 0d.
Problems arose because of the impossibility of comparing one set of
costs with another when very different types of work were being done, or
where the applicant was doing the work himself and so was not providing
for any labour charge. It was decided as a general principle, that grants
should be assessed on (a) the Council's total estimated cost of the work
considered to be reasonably necessary or (b) the total of the applicant's
approved estimate (no figure being included for the applicant's own
labour), the applicant being granted the lesser of these amounts.
Hazards of Radiation
Fall-out. The explosion of a series of bombs in Russia in the
Autumn again raised the question of the risk from fall-out.
The danger comes from the various radio-active isotopes which are
created by the disintegration of uranium used in the fission bomb. Of
these isotopes some are short-lived, some have very long lives. All contribute
to the external radiation of the whole body; some are absorbed
and can be particularly dangerous. The most dangerous of the shortlived
is iodine 131 which becomes concentrated in the thyroid gland. It is
taken into the body predominately through milk. The short-lived
zirconium 95 contributes to the external radiation only. Of the longer
lived isotopes the most serious is strontium 90. This makes for the bones
where it can cause cancer of the bone or leukaemia (cancer of the bone
marrow). Because of this and because of its long half-life it is regarded as
the most important single indication of the possible total hazards to the
individual. Carbon 14 and caesium 137 are important because they give
use to general irradiation of the body, including the gonads.