Great Smog of 1952
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/59.162.89.184|59.162.89.184]] to last version by Yerpo (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
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[[Image:Nelson's Column during the Great Smog of 1952.jpg|thumb|Nelson's Column during the Great Smog of 1952]]
The '''Great Smog''', also referred to as the '''Big Smoke,''' befell [[London]] starting on [[December 5]]th, [[1952]], and lasted until [[December 9]]th, [[1952]]. This catastrophe caused or advanced the death of thousands and formed an important impetus to the modern [[environmentalism|environmental]] movement. Deaths in most cases during the Great Smog were due to [[respiratory tract]] [[infection]]s from [[hypoxia (medical)|hypoxia]] (low level of oxygenation of blood) due to mechanical obstruction of the air passages by [[pus]] arising from lung infections caused by the smog. The lung infections were mainly [[bronchopneumonia]] or acute [[pus|purulent]] [[bronchitis]] superimposed upon chronic [[bronchitis]].<ref name="gradwohl">Camps, Francis E (Ed.) (1976). "Gradwohl's Legal Medicine, 3<sup>rd</sup> edition" ''Bristol: John Wright & Sons Ltd'', ISBN 0 7236 0310 3. page 236</ref>
Early in December [[1952 in the United Kingdom|1952]], a cold [[fog]] descended upon London. Because of the cold, Londoners began to burn more [[coal]] than usual. The resulting [[air pollution]] was trapped by the [[Inversion (meteorology)|inversion layer]] formed by the dense mass of cold air. Concentrations of pollutants, coal smoke in particular, built up dramatically. The problem was made worse by use of low-quality, high-sulphur coal for home heating in London in order to permit export of higher-quality coal, because of the country's tenuous postwar economic situation [http://www.ehponline.org/docs/2002/110-12/editorial.html#half]. The "fog", or [[smog]], was so thick that driving became difficult or impossible. It entered indoors easily, and concerts and screenings of films were cancelled as the audience could not see the stage or screen.
Since London was known for its fog, there was no great panic at the time. In the weeks that followed, the medical services compiled statistics and found that the fog had killed 4,000 people—most of whom were very young or elderly, or had pre-existing respiratory problems. There was relief that [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]], The Queen Dowager, then aged 85 and suffering with respiratory problems, was not at [[Buckingham Palace]] at the time of the incident. Another 8,000 died in the weeks and months that followed.
These shocking revelations led to a rethinking of air pollution; the disaster had demonstrated its lethal potential to people around the world. New regulations were put in place restricting the use of dirty fuels in industry and banning black smoke. These included the [[Clean Air Act 1956|Clean Air Acts of 1956]] and [[Clean Air Act 1968|of 1968]], and the [[City of London]] [[City of London (Various Powers) Act 1954|(Various Powers) Act]] of 1954.
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://www.reviewslondon.com/london-fog.html London Fog]
*[http://www.metoffice.com/education/secondary/students/smog.html The Great Smog of 1952]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2542315.stm Days of toxic darkness] BBC News
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2545747.stm Historic smog death toll rises] BBC, 2002-12-02.
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/9/newsid_4506000/4506390.stm 1952: London fog clears after days of chaos] BBC News, 1952-12-09.
*[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=873954 NPR: The Killer Fog of '52]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2543875.stm Pollution call on smog anniversary]
*[http://www.portfolio.mvm.ed.ac.uk/studentwebs/session4/27/greatsmog52.htm Description of smog]
*[http://www.npi.gov.au/database/substance-info/profiles/69.html National Pollutant Inventory - Particulate matter fact sheet]
[[Category:Smog]]
[[Category:Disasters in London]]
[[Category:1950s in London]]
[[Category:Health in London]]
[[Category:Health in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Environment of London]]
[[Category:Environment of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1952 in England]]
[[Category:1952 disasters]]
[[Category:Environmental disasters]]
[[cs:Velký smog 1952]]
[[de:Smog-Katastrophe London 1952]]
[[it:Grande smog (Londra 1952)]]
[[ja:ロンドンスモッグ]]
[[ru:Великий смог 1952 года]]
[[sl:Veliki londonski smog]]
[[zh:1952年伦敦烟雾事件]]