[Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Ilkeston Borough.

  • Ilkeston (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1960
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1960] / Medical Officer of Health, Ilkeston Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    28/64 (page 26)
    CLEAN AIR We know that heavy atmospheric pollution and certain fog conditions are dangerous to health. We know that there is an immense waste of fuel in smoke and a great deal of damage to materials and structures, as a result of this smoke. The country is moving inexorably towards a smokeless state because of the pressure on costs and efficiency. On the whole as far as domestic premises are concerned this appeals to the more thinking of the house-holders. The labour of the housewife is cheap and can in most cases be wasted without too much lowering of the family standards. The carrying of solid fuel into the home, regular attention to the fire, the removal of ashes followed by frequent sweeping of the chimney and cleaning of flues with frequent re- decoration are points which can be avoided. It is when the housewife goes out to work that her time becomes related to monetary value. If she is a person who has pressure on her time because of many social engagements her time has another value. Capital investment in the home does not seem to be a problem, television sets, washing machines, refrigerators, make their appear- ance in many homes. Installation of modern heating appliances should not be too difficult. Research is needed in the direction of trying to find out the minimum level of permissible pollution. This is believed to be going on at present. It needs to be followed by legislation to ensure that all areas in the country comply. Vague allegations that so and so is a black area with omission of a next door authority with similar conditions just does not make sense to most people. The standard deposit gauge with a cost of analytical fees of £3-£4 a month is used to monitor emissions of grit and dirt from certain establishments. More equipment such as the daily volu- metric smoke filter is being used. This equipment is reasonably dependable and requires daily attention. As mentioned in a previous report this equipment should be superseded by a more modern instrument, which could take snap samples at various times of the day or night. They could be operated either manually or automatically. Smoke varies from hour to hour. A daily reading only averages out the pollution over 24 hours. It is a grim picture to watch a row of new bungalows pouring out smoke from the chimney pots and to see it descending from the roof into the garden on to the freshly washed white fabrics hanging in the garden, blackened by their owners wasted fuel. There is no doubt at all of the benefits of smokeless zones. Many prejudices have to be overcome. Unreasoned resistence to change must be met by continuous propaganda. Of course our primitive instincts like a blazing fire, but take into consideration the fact of the housewife’s unnecessary work, the personal poisoning, the family illness, the neighbour off work with bronchitis. Consider the extra filth during periods of fog.