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Monthly reports of recordings and other particulars were
submitted to the Fuel Research Station of the Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research for comparison with the rest of
the country, and the Officers of the Fuel Research Station were
consulted at any time when special problems occurred concerning the
reading of results or breakdown of equipment. Bulletins from the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research were received
regularly and studied in the Public Health Department so that
results could be compared with those in other areas.
A brief summary of the year's recordings follows in Table XIV
and are represented in graph form as Graph "C". Graph "D" shows
the monthly rise and fall in the pollution figures for Brentford
and Chiswick, also Leeds, Central London and Lerwick. These latter
places have been chosen in order to illustrate the varying amounts
of pollution from a virtually smokeless atmosphere i.e. Lerwick, to
an industrial area i.e. Leeds.
The graph on page 47 shows that on monthly averages calculated
from the daily readings there is little difference between pollution
of the two parts of the Borough. One interesting point is that the
July reading for Smoke in Brentford and in Chiswick was the lowest
ever recorded by us, also the September reading for Sulphur Dioxide
in Chiswick is the lowest since estimations were begun.
It will be observed that Sulphur Dioxide readings were high at
the Boston Manor Station during the months of recording, whereas in
1951 at the Brentford Baths site the curve of the graph followed
closely that of Chiswick. Factory pollution was suspected to be the
reason for this and certain suspect chimneys were investigated and
improvements obtained.
The figures for both parts of the Borough compare very
favourably with London itself, and even more favourably with the
industrial Midlands, this in spite of the fact that there is a high
proportion of factory premises within the Borough boundaries.
Smoke Complaints
During the year there were complaints of nuisance from smoke or
grit, involving three laundry premises, five chimneys of industrial
undertakings in Brentford, the chimney of a factory in a
neighbouring Borough, and the chimney of the refuse destructor of an
adjoining Borough, the latter being mentioned also in the 1951 Report.
No statutory nuisance was found in any case, but by
co-operation with the managements of the premises within the Borough
improvements were effected.
The neighbouring Borough Council's Officers, on being informed
of the complaints relevant to their districts, took steps to improve
conditions; the delay in improvement from the refuse destructor was
due to difficulties in the supply position, now overcome.
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