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
Southall 1959
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Southall]
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ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
The amount of smoke, grit and sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere over the Borough
of Southall continued to be recorded during the year 1959 at the five sites at which recordings
have been carried out for previous years.
The averages of total solids deposited were reduced in 1959 from the 1958 figures at
the Hortus Cemetery site and at Dormers Wells, but after an increase in 1958 there was a
further rise in the year's figures for the Railway Allotments site where the total deposit was
more than twice that found at the Dormers Wells site.
1959 was a year of low rainfall which always gives improved figures for solids deposited
so that the figures recorded are not truly indicative of any improvement in the amount of
atmospheric pollution in Southall. In fact, since in 1957 the figure at the Hortus Cemetery
site was 10-66 in a comparatively wet year compared with 13-04 in 1959, a very dry year,
it suggests that atmospheric pollution is increasing.
The results obtained from the five sites, i.e. Recreation Ground and Railway Allotments
—lead peroxide method, Hortus Cemetery, New Primary School, Railway Allotments—
deposit gauges, are tabulated on page 46 and graphs prepared from the figures on the tables
are to be found on pages 47-49.
Comparison of eight years' averages at Hortus Cemetery.
Total solids Deposited:—
1952 11.93 1956 12.93
1953 10.67 1957 10.66
1954 14.30 1958 13.83
1955 16.94 1959 13.04
Comparisons with three other places, i.e. Westminster, Cambridge and Sheffield, still
show that Southall is not atmospherically as impure as that in a highly industrial area, but
the Borough is included in a large ring around and including London itself designated as a
black area for atmospheric pollution under the Clean Air Act, 1956.
Observations of individual factory chimneys seeming to be emitting smoke or grit to
excess were continued throughout the year. There was a marked improvement iu the
amount of smoke emission recorded during these observations.
Details of the observations made because of particular subjects of complaint and the results of these observations can be seen in the following table.
| 1959 | 1958 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of sites of routine observation | 5 (3 deposit gauges and 2 lead peroxide gauges) | 5 (3 deposit gauges and 2 lead peroxide gauges) |
| Number of complaints of nuisance from smoke, | ||
| smell or grit and number of premises concerned | 16 complaints re 12 premises | 34 complaints re 23 premises |
| Number of places kept under observation | 19 | 15 |
| Number of observations made | 76 | 83 |
| Number of times black smoke was detected | 2 | 16 |
| Total time of black smoke emissions | 2 A minutes | 13¾ minutes |
| Number of times dark smoke observed | 16 | 47 |
| Total time of dark smoke emissions | 62 f minutes | 249I minutes |
| Minimum time of observations | 10 minutes | 1 minute |
| Maximum time of observations | 110 minutes | 35 minutes |
| Total time of observations | 2,073 minutes | 1,276 minutes |
On 2 occasions black smoke (Ringelmann 4) was detected from 2 industrial premises;
On 16 occasions dark smoke (Ringelmann 2-4) was detected from 8 industrial premises.
The debate continues between public health and town planning interests on the height
of chimneys, within the confines of Section 10 of the Clean Air Act, 1956. In May, 1959, a
local inquiry was held into an application for a new steel chimney (oil firing), the result of
which permitted a chimney of thirty feet with an aluminium external shield.
In no instance was black smoke emission of sufficient quantity to warrant prosecution.
44