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ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION
The amount of smoke and sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere was estimated by
the volumetric method, In addition to the two stations already in operation
one at 3rentford and another near the Town Hall, Chiswick - a third station was
set up during the year at Staveley Road Schools, Chiswick and the apparatus was
put into operation in mid April.
This station was set up in response to a request from the Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research for the establishment of additional stations
throughout the country in areas of different atmospheric pollution potential,
the results from which would be used in a national survey of atmospheric pollution
It has been sited in the Borough's first Smoke Control Area and it is
hoped that some interesting comparisons may be made with the results from the
other stations in the Borough Unfortunately, readings were interrupted temporarily
at the new station on account of alterations and repair works being
carried out at the school and comparison of results can not yet have any real
significance.
Reports are submitted monthly to the Fuel Research Station of the Department
of Scientific and Industrial Research on the information obtained from the three
stations operating in the Borough for collation with those from the rest of the
country A brief summary of the year s recordings is set out in Table XIV at
the end of the book and Graph "C" has been prepared from these figures. The
amount of pollution recorded continues to follow the pattern of previous years
with only slight variations, For instance, there was a sharp rise in the concentrations
of smoke and sulphur dioxide following the dense fog on 15th December,
Examination of Graph ''C'' shows that concentrations are very similar,
both for smoke and sulphur dioxide, at the three locations.
The concentrations of smoke in Brentford and Chiswick, as compared with
those of Leeds Central London and Lerwick (places representative of areas from
industrial to virtually smokeless), are illustrated by Graph "D".
The use of the two deposit gauges, for the measurement of grit deposits
from the atmosphere, was discontinued early in the year. The deposit gauge
provides information which is applicable only to the area immediately surrounding
the instrument and does little to add to the general picture of atmospheric
pollution However, it is a means of monitoring individual sources of pollution
and will be available for this purpose when necessary.
132 visits or observations were made during the year in connection with
premises which were suspected of causing atmospheric pollution or in respect of
which complaints had been received that they were causing such pollution,, In
no case was it necessary to take action other than informally and discussion on
suitability of fuels and stoking methods helped to solve any smoke problems
encountered It is good to know that the advice and assistance of the National
Coal Board is always available in such cases. This is much appreciatedo
Work on the establishment of further Smoke Control Areas within the Borough
has proceeded during the year, full details of which are reported in the next
section Further complaints were received about pollution by soot and grit
from residents of the neighbourhood of Brentford Gas Works, On investigation
these substances were found to be coming, not from the Gas Works but from another
source and steps were taken to abate this nuisance. The opportunity was taken
to obtain assistance from the Alkali Inspector and he reported that the Gas
Works was now using 100% nut coal for carbonization, and that during the year
a steam raising boiler had been converted from breeze firing to oil.
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