[Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Wigan County Borough.

  • Wigan (England). County Borough Council.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1909] / Medical Officer of Health, Wigan County Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    160/176 (page 148)
    Broadly speaking the air in the districts represented by Nos. 1 and 3 samples are equally contaminated and are no worse than could be expected. A slight excess of matters in solution at Whelley is counterbalanced at the Pemberton Sanatorium by an excess of suspended matter. There is rather less sulphuric acid in the air of Pemberton, much less “ free and saline J ammonia, but over half as much again of “ Albuminoid ammonia/' which is indicative of complex animal organic matter. The air in the King Street West area is altogether different, and is heavily charged with floating matters (Vide suspended matters) half mineral, half organic in character—the latter being largely soot. Practically, double the quantity of sulphur compounds, forming sulphuric acid, is found in this, as against the air in either Whelley or Pemberton. Then, there is an excessive quantity of grit (silica) both in suspension and solution, and ten times more iron and alumina than at Pem¬ berton. These conditions, of course, are mainly due to the heavy railway traffic, and, within a radius of, say 350 yards of either railway station, we have probably the greatest contamination in the Borough. Without laying too much stress on the rain water sample of the 12th ult. from the tub supply in Clapgate Lane, it is significant that though the matters in solution are only half that of the No. 2 sample, the combined sulphuric acid is nearly four times greater, the total lime is also heavier and the chlorine five times as much. The air here abouts, therefore, contains very much larger quantities of sulphurous acid, which becomes oxidised and fixed by the different bases present. This water has a neutral reaction and, in appearance, is cleaner than any of the three foregoing samples. In summing up, it must be left to the Medical Officer to say whether sulphurous acid in the air giving rise to such quantities of sulphuric acid as estimated above, is likely to act prejudicially on the health of those living in the immediate district, having in mind the general climatic conditions and the constant variation in the amount of such deleterious compounds present. I am, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, S. ERNEST MELLING.