Tag:GS3||Environment||Environment & Ecology||Pollution

Why In News?

In London, air pollution has become a matter of life and death.

According to researchers, air pollution kills thousands in the city every year.

About the Great Smog of London 1952:

The great smog was a severe air-pollution event that affected the British capital of London from 5th -9th December 1952.

event that A thick layer of smog over the city lasted for 5 days and killed thousands.

and killed thousands. This was the worst air-pollution event in the history of the United Kingdom and the most significant in terms of its effect on environmental research, government regulation, and public awareness of the relationship between air quality and health.

and the most significant in terms of its effect on environmental research, government regulation, and public awareness of the relationship between air quality and health. London had suffered since the 13th century from poor air quality, which worsened in the 1600s.

from poor air quality, which worsened in the 1600s. The 1952 fog was strange – yellow-black in colour and thicker than the residents of the always foggy London had seen before.

– than the residents of the always foggy London had seen before. The smell of the fog was different too, a smoky, chemical smell.

What is SMOG?

Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud and is heavily influenced by nearby bodies of water, topography, and wind conditions.

and is heavily influenced by nearby bodies of water, topography, and wind conditions. It is a combination of Fog and Smoke i.e FOG + SMOKE = SMOG

Coinage of the term “smog” is often attributed to Dr Henry Antoine Des Voeux in his 1905 paper, “Fog and Smoke” for a meeting of the Public Health Congress.

Reasons for the Great Smog of 1952:

A period of cold weather .

. An anticyclone depression .

. Windless conditions.

Airborne pollutants arising from the use of coal.

arising from the use of coal. Pollution and smoke from vehicle exhaust—particularly from steam locomotives and diesel-fuelled buses.

The coal factor:

The cold weather preceding and during the Great Smog led Londoners to burn more coal than usual to keep themselves warm.

Post-war domestic coal tended to be of a relatively lowgrade , sulphurous variety because better-quality “hard” coals tended to be exported.

, sulphurous variety because better-quality “hard” coals tended to be exported. There were also numerous coal-fired power stations in the Greater London area.

in the Greater London area. On 4 December 1952, an anticyclone settled over a windless London , causing a temperature inversion with cold, stagnant air trapped under a layer (or “lid”) of warm air. The resultant fog, mixed with smoke, particulates and other pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, formed a persistent smog .

, causing a temperature inversion with cold, stagnant air trapped under a layer (or “lid”) of warm air. . The absence of significant wind prevented its dispersal and allowed an unprecedented accumulation of pollutants.

Effects on Life of Londoners

It caused major disruption by reducing visibility and even penetrating indoor areas.

and even penetrating indoor areas. Driving

Public transport

Essential services – Ambulances

Theatres stopped functioning

stopped functioning Sports leagues Cancelled

Pollutants emitted during London Smoke:

According to the UK’s Met Office, the following pollutants were emitted each day during the smoggy period: 1,000 tonnes of smoke particles , 140 tonnes of hydrochloric acid , 14 tonnes of fluorine compounds , 370 tonnes of sulphur dioxide which may have been converted to 800 tonnes of sulphuric acid.



The death toll :

UK government would estimate that 4,000 lives were due to the smog.

were due to the smog. The real number of fatalities is now believed to be closer to 10,000.

1,00,000 more were made ill by the smog’s effects on the human respiratory tract.

Most of the deaths were caused by respiratory tract infections, from hypoxia and as a result of mechanical obstruction of the air passages by pus arising from lung infections caused by the smog.

Delhi:

Air quality in Delhi and surrounding areas has deteriorated steadily since the Diwali weekend, leaving the city covered in a thick fog of poisonous fog.

In NCR, Ghaziabad (467), Greater Noida (462), Gurgaon (447), Faridabad (446) and Noida (470) also reeled under the toxic smog.

Visibility has been reduced in Delhi and the same situation of smog can be filled in Delhi to a certain extent and it is considered the most polluted city of the world.

The Clean Air Act 1956 Of UK:

The Act introduced a number of measures to reduce air pollution Introduction of “ smoke control areas ” in towns and cities in which only smokeless fuels could be burned. By shifting domestic sources of heat towards cleaner coals, electricity, and gas. The Act also included measures to prevent the emission of dark smoke from chimneys. Required new furnaces to be smokeless and that grit and dust should be minimised.

to reduce air pollution

London Today:

In recent decades, emissions from diesel motor vehicles have seen London’s air quality re-emerge as a public safety hazard.

have seen as a public safety hazard. Today’s air is unlike before; it doesn’t choke people while they walk down the street, but it may be just as dangerous.

Air pollution is linked to the early deaths of about 40,000 people a year in the UK and causes problems such as heart and lung diseases and asthma.

and causes problems such as heart and lung diseases and asthma. In January of 2017, London’s air registered higher levels of particulate matter than that of Beijing. Warmer temperatures, associated with climate change, have increased the risk of stagnant air and dangerous ozone levels.

References:

https://psmag.com/environment/air-pollution-is-killing-london