The Dhaka Times Desk Dense fog is a different weather. The weather that no one can forget. Now the mystery of London's 'killer fog' has been revealed!
London is famous for its cloudy, drizzly weather. But not today, no one will ever forget that fog of 1952. The cause of the fatal fog is still a mystery. So why did this happen?
About the month of December 1952. 5 days thick fog covers the whole of London. When this mysterious fog cleared, at least 150,000 people were hospitalized due to its effects. 4 thousand people died at that time. But what was in the fog?
According to researchers, 12,000 people died as a result of the fog. Thousands of animals died. Hence it was called 'Killer Fog'. This very secret phenomenon of nature remains a mystery. But the reason must be something. Scientists have been trying to figure it out for a long time.
For a long time, scientists have been concerned about the killer fog. They believed that the thick fog mixed with the smoke of burning coal made it fatal. Fog is always there, so fog will cause people to die? Scientists are reluctant to accept this. Researchers from China, America and Britain have been pursuing the cause for a long time. They also studied the climate of Beijing and Xi'an, two densely populated cities in China. They create that fog in their laboratory for research.
Atmospheric scientist and lead researcher Renee Zhang of Texas A&M University said that one of the components of the London fog was sulfate. A component of sulfuric acid is sulfur dioxide. It is emitted mainly from burning coal. He said, our research has shown that another element is released during the burning of coal, which is called nitrogen dioxide. This can be mixed with natural fog. Sulfate fog is more lethal than sulfur dioxide. There were many other elements to the London fog. Some acidic material is also dispersed.
It is known that the Clean Air Act was created because of that killer smog of 1952. It was passed by the British Parliament in 1956. The haze was declared the worst air pollution event in European history at the time.
Many cities in China also have severe air pollution. This air is very similar to London's killer fog. However, the difference between China's fog and killer fog is that there are many tiny elements in China's fog. Its sulphate contains only ammonia. In China, sulfur dioxide is mainly emitted from power plants. Nitrogen dioxide is emitted from power plants and automobiles. Ammonia comes from fertilizer use and automobiles.
Zhang also said, we have finally been able to solve the mystery of the dreaded 'killer fog' in London in 1952. Besides, some methods to prevent air pollution have also come out from this research. These will also apply to China. Sulfate formation can only be reduced by reducing nitrogen oxide and ammonia emissions. The research paper was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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