Short Note on London Smog (1952)

In the winters of UK in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, on considerable occasions, in early December of 1952, the wind speed had fallen and temperature inversions were formed as stationary high pressure systems developed over western Europe. With increase in the concentration of pollutants, fogs became widespread. The condition was commonly referred to as smog. Initially the term smog was coined by Harold Des Voeux, the treasurer of Coal Smoke Abatement Society in 1905 to refer an odd combination of smoke plus fog.Smog was formed from particulate emissions from the combustion of coal in the industrial furnaces, kilns and boilers, domestic grates and steam locomotives, canal ships. The visibility dropped, transport could not move, railways and air flights had to be closed and shops, stores and institutions were shut down completely paralyzing the city. PM went up by 56 times the normal level and SO2 level went up by seven times.

Some 8,000 young and old people were hit by bronchitis and heart disease. The number of deaths rose so high from this Sulphur laden sooty condition that it was popularly known as Great Smog. These profound events led to the enactment of Clean Air Act of 1956.