Five days of deadly smog began in London, leaving thousands of people dead. The Great Smog of London was caused by a combination of industrial pollution and high-pressure weather conditions. The weather was unusually cold and windless, preventing the dispersion of particles. London was brought to a near standstill. Visibility was so poor that people could not see their own feet, and the fog penetrated indoor areas.
Polluted fog had been known in London since the 13th century, largely due to the burning of coal. King Edward I passed legislation in 1306 to restrict coal burning, but with industrialisation, matters only worsened. By the 19th century, polluted fog became known as ‘pea-soupers.’ It did not help that in the aftermath of WWII the better quality ‘hard’ coals, such as anthracite, were not sold for domestic use but exported to pay off war debts. Londoners were left with a sulphurous variety nicknamed ‘nutty slack’. Burning this coal led to an increase in sulphur dioxide in the smoke. Additionally, coal-fired electric power stations in the London orbit – Fulham, Battersea, Bankside, Greenwich, West Ham, and Kingston upon Thames – contributed to the pollution.
During the Great Smog of 1952, transport – with the exception of the Underground – was severely restricted. Ambulances could not navigate the routes to hospitals, cars were abandoned on the roads, and crime on the streets increased. Smog masks were sold in shops, but hospitalisations due to pneumonia and bronchitis surged. Horrifically, cattle due for sale at Smithfield Market were found choked to death. It is estimated that between 4,000 and 12,000 deaths were caused by the Great Smog.
As a result of this disaster, The Clean Air Act was introduced four years later, in 1956. Smoke-free areas were established throughout the city, and the burning of coal in industrial furnaces and domestic fires was restricted. The general public was encouraged to switch to alternative heating sources – oil, natural gas, and electricity – with homeowners offered grants to make the transition.
Today, London still has its struggles with air quality. According to Transport for London, the single biggest cause of pollution in London is road traffic, which produces nearly half of all nitrogen oxides and emit tiny particles of rubber and metal into the air, causing and exacerbating illnesses such as cancer, asthma and lung disease.
