The Great Smog also referred to as the Big Smoke, befell London starting on 5 December 1952, and lasted until 9 December 1952. This catastrophe caused or advanced the death of thousands and formed an important impetus to the modern environmental movement. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... December 5 is the 339th day (340th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... December 9 is the 343rd day (344th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... For the psychology topic, see Environmental psychology. ...

Early in December 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 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-sulfur coal for home heating in London in order to permit export of higher-quality coal, because of the country's tenuous economic situation [1]. 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. The 3 Queens in mourning- Queen Elizabeth II, her grandmother Queen Mary and mother Queen Elizabeth at the funeral of King George VI. The UKs first nuclear bomb January 5- Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrives in the United States for an official visit and talks with President Harry S... Evening fog obscures Londons Tower Bridge from passers by. ... Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... Air pollution is a chemical, physical (e. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Victorian London was notorious for its thick smogs, or pea-soupers, a fact that is often recreated to add an air of mystery to a period costume drama. ...

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 belief that Queen Mary The Queen Dowager, then age 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. Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 1867 – 24 March 1953) was the Queen Consort of George V. Queen Mary was also the Empress of India and Queen of Ireland. ... Buckingham Palace and the Victoria Memorial. ...

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 Acts of 1956 and of 1968, and the City of London (Various Powers) Act of 1954. The Clean Air Act (1956) responded to London, Englands Great Smog of 1952. ... The City of London is a geographically-small city within Greater London, England. ...

Cause of mortality

Deaths in most cases during the Great Smog was due to respiratory tract infections from hypoxia (low level of oxygenation of blood) due to mechanical obstruction of the air passages by pus arising from lung infections due to smog. The lung infections were mainly bronchopneumonia or acute purulent bronchitis superimposed upon chronic bronchitis. ^[1] 2 people were harmed on this incident In humans the respiratory tract is the part of the anatomy that has to do with the process of respiration or breathing. ... An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... Hypoxia may refer to: Hypoxia (medical), the lack of oxygen in tissues Hypoxia or Oxygen depletion, a reduced concentration of dissolved oxygen in a water body leading to stress or even death in aquatic organisms This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Pus is a whitish-yellow or yellow substance produced during inflammatory responses of the body that can be found in regions of pyogenic bacterial infections. ... Bronchopneumonia (Lobular pneumonia) - is one of two types of bacterial pneumonia as classified by gross anatomic distribution of consolidation (solidification). ... Pus is a whitish-yellow or yellow substance produced during inflammatory responses of the body that can be found in regions of pyogenic bacterial infections. ... Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs. ... Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (medium-size airways) in the lungs. ...

References

1. ^ Camps, Francis E (Ed.) (1976). "Gradwohl's Legal Medicine, 3^rd edition" Bristol: John Wright & Sons Ltd, ISBN 0 7236 0310 3. page 236

See also

• fog
• smog

Evening fog obscures Londons Tower Bridge from passers by. ... Victorian London was notorious for its thick smogs, or pea-soupers, a fact that is often recreated to add an air of mystery to a period costume drama. ...

External links

• London Fog
• The Great Smog of 1952
• Days of toxic darkness
• Historic smog death toll rises
• NPR: The Killer Fog of '52
• Pollution call on smog anniversary
• National Pollutant Inventory - Particulate matter fact sheet