[Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Swindon Borough.

  • Swindon (Wiltshire, England). Borough Council.
Date:
1970
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1970] / Medical Officer of Health and School Medical Officer of Health, Swindon Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    57/102 (page 55)
    CLEAN AIR ACT 7 applications for prior approval of boilers and furnaces were received and all were found to comply with the requirements of the Act and were approved. 7 applications for approval of chimney heights received attention during the year and all were approved without amendment. Numerous complaints were investigated regarding alleged emission of smoke and fumes mainly from individual establishments. In one instance oily smuts were reported coming from a factory on the Cheney Manor Trading Estate and was alleged to be causing damage to outside paintwork of houses nearby and soiling domestic washing. On investigation it was established that the smuts were particles of carbon black, a black powder used in a specific plastic process at one of the factories. A suitable scrubber was installed with baffle plates on the outlet from the process and as an additional safeguard a high baffle wall was constructed around the extractor fan outlet. These measures appeared to be quite effective as no further complaints were received. Other complaints involved the emission of dark smoke from various chimneys but in most cases these were isolated instances and were usually discovered to be due to a temporary break down in the plant. Daily measurements for the amount of smoke and sulphur dioxide in the air continued during the year. The records of the department show that the amount of air pollution in the Borough by smoke has greatly declined since 1961 when these measurements were first recorded in Swindon. The town's average monthly concentrations of smoke for 1970 were 25 microgramraes per cubic metre compared with 80 microgrammes per cubic metre in 19&1/2. This marked reduction in smoke pollution is mainly due to the reduction of smoke from industry and follows the National trend which shows that industrial smoke has been dramatically reduced since the passing of the Clean Air Act, 1956. Domestic smoke, however, does not show the same marked reduction and accounts mainly for the higher readings recorded during the winter months when domestic fires are in use. However, the average monthly readings recorded in Swindon for smoke pollution are well within the Regional average and some 50% below the National average. * Domestic smoke can be controlled by the introduction of Smoke Control Orders and it is regretted that the Council's proposals for introducing Smoke Control at South Dorcan were not confirmed by the Minister. The Order which would have come into operation in April 1971» will not now take effect.