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44
AIR POLLUTION
It will be remembered that following the very severe fog conditions
experienced in December, 1952, Central Government, in July, 1953, appointed a
Committee under the Chairmanship of Sir Hugh Beaver, M. Inst.C. E., M.I.Chem.E.,
with the following terms of reference -
"To examine the nature, causes and effects of air pollution and
the efficacy of present preventive measures; to consider what
further preventive measures are practicable; and to make recommendations.
"
This Committee, in November, submitted a most informative and interesting
interim report, from which the following extracts are taken: -
1. GENERAL. The most serious immediate problem in regard to air pollution
is that which arises from the combustion of fuel (coal, oil and other
products) in large towns.
The effects are most serious when natural weather conditions allow the
pollution to accumulate, and when natural fog is turned into "smog".
The chief pollutants are smoke, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and
grit. The domestic fire is the biggest single smoke producer. In ratio to
the coal burnt it produces twice as much smoke as industry, and discharges it
at a lower level.
Three-fifths of the sulphur dioxide comes from industrial sources, onefifth
from electricity generating stations, and one-fifth from domestic consumers.
Carbon monoxide is produced in about equal proportions from domestic and
other sources, but about one-sixth of the total comes from motor vehicle
exhausts. Under certain conditions this may cause relatively high local concentration
at or near ground level.
Grit, although the total weight emitted is only about one-quarter that of
smoke, is produced from a large number of different sources in substantial
quantities.
The domestic fire burning bituminous coal is in the aggregate the principal
contributor to air pollution by smoke. There are in regular use about 12
million old-fashioned grates, very few of which use smokeless fuel. The
replacement of bituminous coal by smokeless solid fuel presents two difficulties:
the supply of the latter is insufficient, and coke - which forms the
greater part of present smokeless fuel supplies - cannot be burnt satisfactorily
by itself in most of the old fashioned open grates still used in most
houses. We intend to hear evidence as to how these difficulties can best be
overcome and whether it is possible in the meantime for smokeless fuels to be
reserved for the worst "smog" areas, In the meantime it is obvious that our
available coals are not being used in the most appropriate way; high volatile
coals are supplied for domestic use and much of the low volatile coals, for
instance from South Wales, is used industrially,
2. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION. The Authorities. Every effort
should be made without delay (1) to provide adequate supplies of smokeless
fuels to domestic consumers in London and other densely populated areas liable
to bad fog during the winter; and (2) to inform such domestic consumers when
such supplies are available so that they may, at least, lay in a small stock
for use when fog is developing
The appropriate authorities should, by whatever means are most suitable,
bring to the notice of the public resident in areas liable to "smog" the fact
that the largest single producer of smoke is the domestic consumer, and that
it is to the personal advantage of everyone to co-operate in taking all
practicable steps to reduce the amount of smoke discharged into the atmosphere.
Steps should be taken to secure fuller and more frequent measurements of