London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Hackney 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Hackney]
This page requires JavaScript
28
Two meetings were held, one on the 22nd April at Barking, the other on
28th October at Dagenham.
(e) The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The Council has,
for a number of years, been a member of the Standing Conference of Co-operating
Bodies, and was represented by the Medical Officer of Health and the Chairman
of the Public Health Committee.
(f) Recording of Atmospheric Pollution. The Department now takes daily
readings of smoke and sulphur dioxide from the following four Stations, each
of which is equipped with a volumetric sulphur dioxide instrument with smoke
filter attachment:-
Town Hall;
Lampard Grove Depot;
Rushmore Road Primary School;
Metropolitan Hospital, Kingsland Road.
The London County Council continue to maintain their two Stations, one in
Victoria Park E.9, and a second at the Ambulance Station, Brooksby's Walk.
The following table shows the extent of atmospheric pollution by smoke and
sulphur dioxide in terms of average daily readings for each month as recorded
throughout the year at the Town Hall, Lampard Grove, Metropolitan Hospital, and
Rushmore Road School Stations;
AIR POLLUTION
Concentration of Smoke and Sulphur Dioxide by the Volumetric Method
| Location of Apparatus | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town Hall 2 | Smoke | 265 | 228 | 133 | 83 | 43 | 43 | 28 | 40 | 58 | 188 | 163 | 200 |
| SO2 | 440 | 362 | 279 | 229 | 154 | 138 | 106 | 127 | 152 | 266 | 254 | 284 | |
| Lampard Grove Depot 6 | Smoke | 210 | 165 | 85 | 58 | 32 | 35 | 22 | 32 | 46 | 132 | 115 | 138 |
| SO2 | 70 | 65 | 44 | 58 | 46 | 38 | 35 | 32 | 50 | 69 | 92 | 93 | |
| Metropolitan Hospital 7 | Smoke | 282 | 246 | 156 | 87 | 46 | 44 | 30 | 39 | 57 | 190 | 172 | 211 |
| S02 | 444 | 369 | 271 | 244 | 167 | 138 | 114 | 116 | 154 | 253 | 310 | 348 | |
| Rushmore Road School 8 | Smoke | 249 | 209 | 125 | Nil | 37 | 34 | 21 | 29 | 44 | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| SO2 | 428 | 313 | 262 | Nil | 144 | 122 | 103 | 107 | 139 | Nil | Nil | Nil | |
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION FIGURES JANUARY TO DECEMBER 1964
AVERAGE DAILY CONCENTRATIONS OP SMOKE AND SULPHUR DIOXIDE IN MICRoGRAMMES PER
CUBIC METRE
NIL RETURN FOR INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF RESULTS
SECTION 30 (Duty to notify occupiers of offences). Pursuant to the provisions
of this section, written notice of contraventions of Sections l, 11 and 16
were sent to occupiers of the 14 premises concerned.
The following tables summarises the work of the department in connection with the implementation of the Clean Air Act:-
| Number of complaints received | 63 |
| Number of observations and investigations made | 269 |
| Number of contraventions of Section 1 (Dark Smoke) found | - |
| Number of contraventions of Section 11 (Smoke Control Areas) | 5 |
| Number of smoke nuisances (Section 16) | 9 |
| Number of notifications to occupiers of offences (Section 30) | 11 |
| Number of. formal notices (Section 16) served | Nil |
| Number of notifications of intention to install new furnaces (Section 3(1)) | 11 |
| Number of applications for approval of new furnaces in accordance with Section 3(2) | 2 |
| Number of visits in connection with domestic Smoke Control | 12,176 |
| Number of informal notices to owners of properties in Smoke Control Areas | 2,618 |
| Number of formal notices served (Section 12) | 2,713 |