"The Great Smog of London"

Professor:
Ulrike Plath

“History of Environment and Environmental Humanities“

Mohammad Amin Abbasi

Crossmedia student
Thousands of people perished in December 1952 not from the setting sun but from an invisible
cloud of pollution that choked the city streets. An environmental catastrophe known as the Great
Smog served as a warning about the harmful effects of unchecked industrialization on the
environment and human health. This was no isolated weather occurrence. This event prompted
significant advancements in environmental regulation and public health policies to mitigate the
devastating impacts of air pollution worldwide.

The Great Smog was primarily caused by London's expanding industrial sector, which was
driven by the unrelenting burning of coal. The Industrial Revolution's lifeblood, coal drove the
engines of progress, heated homes, and ran factories.
But when coal was burned, a poisonous mixture of pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and
particulate matter, was released into the atmosphere, enveloping the city in an unpleasant
haze.As a result, the Great Smog catalyzed a global reevaluation of energy sources and spurred
efforts to develop cleaner, more sustainable alternatives to coal combustion.

However, it wasn't until December 5, 1952, that the terrible scope of London's pollution issue
was revealed. A weather system with high pressure moved over the city, causing a temperature
inversion that trapped pollutants near the surface. Consequently, the typical clouds of smoke and
soot that adorned London's skyline were trapped, creating a thick mist that would not go away.
London's visibility decreased to as little as one metre during the Great Smog, causing havoc on
the streets and serious problems for the transport infrastructure.

Londoners were trapped in a toxic fog for five days, and their city was turned into a hellish scene
from a horror film. Buses and trains got stuck in the thick fog, causing transportation to come to
a complete stop, and people wandered aimlessly through the streets.

Londoners had to deal with more than just the annoyance of the smog; they also had to deal with
the lethal mixture of pollutants that entered their lungs with each breath. A byproduct of burning
coal, sulphur dioxide combines with atmospheric moisture to form sulfuric acid, which
aggravates pre-existing medical conditions and irritates the respiratory system.
Particulate matter, which are microscopic airborne particles, enters the lungs deeply and causes
inflammation as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and respiratory infections. In
addition to harming people's health, the Great Smog's emissions severely damaged the local
ecosystems and flora in and around London.
There were an incredible number of deaths from the Great Smog. In the days and weeks that
followed the incident, hospitals were overrun with patients complaining of respiratory distress
and mortuaries were piled high with the bodies of the dead. The toxic effects of the smog are
believed to have claimed the lives of 4,000 people, but some studies suggest that the actual death
toll may have been much higher.
Following the Great Smog, public indignation surged and lawmakers were forced to respond.
The British government responded by enacting the historic Clean Air Act of 1956, which sought
to reduce air pollution and safeguard public health. The Act required the use of cleaner fuels,
placed tight restrictions on industrial emissions, and made investments in pollution control
technologies. A major turning point in environmental regulation was the passage of the Clean
Air Act of 1956, which opened the door for later environmental protection laws and inspired
similar legislation in other nations.

The Great Smog left behind a legacy that serves as a constant reminder to us of the terrible
consequences of ignoring the environment. It serves as a sobering reminder that advancement
cannot come at the expense of public health and environmental preservation. The Great Smog
emphasises the need for sustainable and responsible development practices by providing a
striking example of the relationship between human activity and environmental degradation. The
Great Smog taught us valuable lessons that still apply today as we tackle the severe problems of
air pollution and climate change. These teachings beg us to act decisively and quickly to mitigate
the existential threat posed by environmental degradation.
Refrences:
Bell, M.L., Davis, D.L. (2001). Reassessment of the Lethal London Fog of 1952: Novel Indicators
of
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/abs/10.1289/ehp.01109s3389

Colbeck, I., Nasir, Z.A., Ali, Z. (2010). The Great Smog of 1952—A Case Study. Journal of
Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 45(6), 676–684.
https://www.metlink.org/resource/case-study-the-great-smog/

Royal College of Physicians. (1954). Smoking and Air Pollution. London: Royal College of
Physicians.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pam.22508?af=R