The Great Smog (or Big Smoke) of 1952 was the severe smog that affected London during the period of Friday 5th to Tuesday 9th December 1952, today seen as the worst air pollution event in the history of the United Kingdom. Earlier reports suggested that 4000 died prematurely and 100,000 were made ill by the Great Smog, but more recent research has shown that the number of smog-related deaths was underestimated and is now thought to be considerably higher – around 12,000. The London Smog of 1952 is acknowledged as one of the most significant pollution episodes in history in terms of its impact on environmental research, government regulation, and public awareness of the relationship between air quality and health.

Sources of Pollution

The weather preceding and during the smog meant that Londoners had to burn more coal than usual to keep warm. Post-war domestic coal tended to be of a relatively low-grade, sulphurous variety, which increased the amount of sulphur dioxide in the smoke (economic necessity meant that higher quality ‘hard’ coals tended to be exported). There were also numerous coal fired power stations within the Greater London area including Battersea, Bankside, and Kingston upon Thames, all of which added to the pollution levels. (Research suggests that additional pollution prevention systems fitted at Battersea may actually have worsened the air quality, reducing the output of soot at the cost of increased sulphur dioxide, though this is not clear). In addition there was pollution and smoke from vehicle exhausts – particularly from diesel-fuelled buses which had replaced the recently scrapped electric tram system – and from other industrial and commercial sources Prevailing winds had also blown heavily-polluted air across the English Channel from industrial areas of Europe.

Information courtesy of Wikipedia

Computer Networking and Cabling in Ilminster