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ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
For part of 1957 there were three stations for the measurement of smoke and
sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere by the volumetric method. The sites were
(i) Brentford Baths, (ii) Public Health Department laboratory (ground floor
level) and (iii) a room on the second floor of a building adjacent to the Town
Hall. In addition, two deposit gauges, one at the Metropolitan Water Board
Works, Kew Bridge, and the other in Chiswick House Grounds were used for the
measurement of grit deposits from the atmosphere. During the year volumetric
station (ii) was discontinued because all the information which could be usefully
obtained by comparison of results taken at ground floor and second floor
level, had been obtained. No evidence was obtained that pollution was greater
at either level
Each month reports of recordings and other relevant 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 assistance
was given by the officers of the Fuel Research Station when special problems
arose concerning readings of results or the 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 is to be found in tables XII and XIII at the end of the book: and
in graphs "C" and "E" which have been prepared from these figures In 1957,
the figures for sulphur dioxide both in Brentford and Chiswick were well down
on those for the previous year and the figure for smoke was lower in Chiswick
There was, however rapid deterioration after October and the December figures
both for smoke and sulphur dioxide in both parts of the borough were well above
the corresponding figures for 1956 as estimated by the Volumetric Method
The results received from the deposit gauges over the whole of the year
show that for most months the deposit of grit and dust was considerably greater
in Brentford than in Chiswick, at least in the sites selected A curious feature
of these results is that the high figures for smoke and S02 obtained by the
volumetric method in November and December are not repeated in the figures for
grit and dust obtained by the deposit gauge method There was no serious smog
(smoke and fog) incident during 1957
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.
During the year 88 visits or observations were made in connection with
cases in which it was alleged that atmospheric pollution was taking place.
Work was carried out where necessary and advice on stoking methods given occasionally.
The Clean Air Act 1956 came into operation in 1957 in part and consideration
was given by the Public Health Committee to the feasibility of creating
smoke control areas within the borough No decision was reached by the end of
the year.
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