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
Hillingdon 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hillingdon]
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MEASUREMENT OF SMOKE AND SULPHUR DIOXIDE IN THE ATMOSPHERE
The seven stations established in previous years have been maintained and the monthly
averages for smoke and sulphur dioxide in micro-grammes per cubic metre are set out in the
table on page 69. In calculating the average figure for any month if more than 3 consecutive days
measurements, or more than a total of 5 days in any month, are not available, then the monthly
average is not accurate. The measuring stations have been designed to operate for 7 days without
attention. Therefore, if there is a breakdown it can mean up to 7 days results are not obtained.
It is for this reason that in some cases the tables do not show an average figure for a particular
station.
The result of the smoke control programme to date has had a beneficial effect over the whole of the Borough but the advantage of living in a well established smoke control area surrounded by other smoke control areas can be seen by comparing the winter and summer smoke levels at the recording stations in the different areas.
| STATION | Date in operative Smoke Control Area | Smoke | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1970 | June 1970 | Ratio | January* | ||
| Grange Park School, Hayes | 1960 | 48 | 17 | 2.9:1 | 1965 71 |
| Drayton Hall, West Drayton | 1962 | 49 | 29 | 1.7:1 | 1967 51 |
| Oak Farm School, Hillingdon | 1968 | 51 | 20 | 2.6:1 | 1967 53 |
| West Mead Clinic, Ruislip | 1968 | 60 | 18 | 3.3:1 | 1965 85 |
| Coldharbour Lane, Hayes | * * | 45 | 23 | 2:1 | 1965 97 |
| High Street, Uxbridge | 66 | 24 | 3:1 | 1967 66 | |
| High Street, North wood | 70 | 13 | 6:1 | 1965 92 | |
* The Years shown are the first available from records kept by this Borough.
** The Smoke Control Order affecting this area was delayed to coincide with the completion of the modernisation
of the southern portion of the Council's Botwell Housing Estate, it will be operative in 1971 but is already
surrounded by operative smoke control areas.
NEW FURNACES
73 notifications of the intention to install new furnaces were received in 1970. Of these
furnaces, 24 were designed to burn gas; 42 to burn light fuel oil which has a sulphur content
less than that of solid fuel; 3 to burn heavy fuel oil which has a high sulphur content and 4 were
incinerators.
CHIMNEY HEIGHTS
Any new furnace which is capable of burning either 100 lbs or more of any solid matter
per hour or the equivalent calorific value in liquid or gaseous matter must have the height of the
chimney to which it discharges approved. This is to avoid unreasonable ground level concentration
70