During the “London Fog” or “Great Smog” incident of 1952, an estimated 4,000 deaths (a 2004 study suggests closer to 12,000 deaths) were attributed to smog-induced respiratory tract infections and hypoxia. What were the major components of the smog?
Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. Formed by a combination of industrial pollution and anticyclone formation (high-pressure weather system that caused an inversion), emissions from factories and domestic fires could not be released into the atmosphere and were trapped at ground level.
Scott JA. Fog and deaths in London, December 1952. Public Health Rep. 1953; 68:474-479, Martinez, Julia. “Great Smog of London”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 May. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/event/Great-Smog-of-London.
Contributed by: Catherine Dong, MD