442 



NATURE 



[December i6, 1915 



A' 



ing 



ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION.^ 



recorded in Nature of December 17, 1914 (vol. 

 xciv., p. 433), Sheffield is one of the cities join- 

 in the observations on atmospheric pollution 



The curves, which show the total amount of insoluble 

 matter (Fig. i), and the total dissolved matter (Fig. 2) 

 found in the rain-water collectpd at the end of each 



month, 

 of the 



JULY. AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV- DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE 



indicate for the three parks some deterioration 

 atmosphere, as might be expected from the 

 abnormal conditions arising out 

 of the war. But the unmistak- 

 able evidence of diminishing pollu- 

 tion which the Attercliffe curves 

 suggest, finds no support from 

 what is known about the difficul- 

 ties encountered in the east end 

 with plant on war material con- 

 tracts pushed to its utmost capa- 

 city, with fuel, and with the 

 shortage of competent firemen, and 

 it is in conflict with the sun- 

 shine records for Attercliffe, which 

 show no improvement when com- 

 pared with the average of the 

 preceding ten years, ^ and with 

 the number of warnings .about 

 excessive smoke emission issued by 

 the smoke inspector, which show no 

 decrease when compared with the 

 average of the two preceding years.* 

 The total amount of each constitu- 

 ent determined in the rain-water col- 

 lected at the four sites during the 

 period July i, 1914, to June 30, 1915, 

 is set out in metric tons per square 

 kilometre in the table : — 



arranged by a committee representative of the Smoke 

 Abatement Societies of the United Kingdom. The 

 monthly results of the chemical examination of rain- 

 water collected at four sites, approximately N., S., 

 E., and W. of the Town Hall,- have been published 

 in the Lancet, and are being embodied in the annual 

 report of the medical officer of health of the city of 

 Sheffield. The results do not accord with expectation, 

 and certain conclusions have been 

 reached which are perhaps of more 

 than local interest, as they throw 

 doubt on the value of chemical 

 analyses of rain-water, either in the 

 investigation of atmospheric pollu- 

 tion or in a comparison of the extent 

 of pollution in different localities. It 

 should be borne in mind that in 

 Sheffield the distinction between fac- 

 tory and domestic smoke, which is 

 based on the relative amounts of 

 tarry matter and ammonia in the 

 atmosphere (this journal, loc. cit.), 

 cannot be drawn owing to the large 

 number of reheating and annealing 

 furnaces in operation in the east end 

 (where the large steel works are 

 situated), for which coal is burned so 

 as to produce the smoke neces- 

 sary for the metallurgical processes 

 involved. 



1 Communicated in abstract to Section B(Chem- 

 i.<try) of ibe British Association, at Manchester, 

 on September 9, iQi5, and abridged from a Report 

 made to the He.ilth Committee of the .Sheffield 

 City Council in September, 1915, by Prof. W. P. 

 Wynne, F. R.S. The whole < f the chemical anah ses 

 were made by Mr Percv Halb r, who \«as also re- 

 sponiiible for the collection of the rain-water from 

 the gauges. "~- 



'■^ Attercliffe (Don valley), gauge approximately 

 2 miles E.N. K. of Town Hall and 148 ft. above 



sea-level ; Hillsborough Park (Don valley), gauge approximately 2 miles 

 N.N.W. of Town Hall and 250 ft. above sea-level; Meersbrook Park 

 (Ru.skin Museum), gauge appro.ximately 2 miles S. of Town Hall and 

 362 ft. above s-a-level ; Weston Park (University), gauge approximately 

 I mile W. of Town Hall and 425 ft. above sea-level. Each gauge was 

 placed on the ground-level and at a sufficient distance from buildings to 

 render the results comparative, 



Com- 



I bus- 

 1 tible 



Attercliffe . 

 Hillsboro' . 

 M eersbrook . 

 Weston Park 



2-84 43'2o 105-27 



|-6o T4'20 " - 



1-68 : 14-78 



2-15 i5"40 



I,o=s 

 3n la- 

 nition 



'^T^: sui- 



solid ' _j.-,g 



T; (S04) 



Chlor- 

 ide 

 (CI.) 



221T 66-70 240-12 3o'oo 



"■37 ! 49'i3 I24'3" 23'54 



4i'07 12-96 [ 4b'83 [[T732 24'02 



47'55i 17'ot ! 46-92 129 03 25-:j3 



Am- 

 monia 



18-29 o'S? 



9'33 ' 0-53 



9'36 ' 0-53 



9'M o'S3 



JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. JAN. FEB. 



APR. MAY JUNE 



NO. 2407, VOL. 96] 



No. of days in each month on which rain fell in Sheffield. 



3 Mr. E. Howarth, Curator of Weston Park .Museum, has supplied the 

 foUowine information : Bright .sunshine re istered at Attercliffe during 

 period July i, 1914, to Jun- 30, 1915, 1029 hours (average 1008 hours) ; at 

 Weston Park. 1377 hours (average 1322 hours); at Bournemouth, 1791 hours 

 (average 1740 hours) . 



4 Warnings in 1912 and 1913 were 261 and 244 respectively, and in the 

 period July i, 1914, t j June 30, 1915, they were 251. 



