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Group 5 Sih2014

The document summarizes the Donora Smog disaster of 1948 that killed 20 people initially and 50 more within a month. A dense smog enveloped the town of Donora, Pennsylvania from October 27-31 due to emissions from local zinc smelters and steel mills becoming trapped by a temperature inversion. Analysis of the pollutants identified sulfur dioxide and fluorides as contributing to the high air pollution levels that sickened over half of the town's 14,000 residents. The disaster helped spur the development of the Clean Air Act of 1963 to better regulate industrial air pollution.

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Faris Izzlan
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26 views9 pages

Group 5 Sih2014

The document summarizes the Donora Smog disaster of 1948 that killed 20 people initially and 50 more within a month. A dense smog enveloped the town of Donora, Pennsylvania from October 27-31 due to emissions from local zinc smelters and steel mills becoming trapped by a temperature inversion. Analysis of the pollutants identified sulfur dioxide and fluorides as contributing to the high air pollution levels that sickened over half of the town's 14,000 residents. The disaster helped spur the development of the Clean Air Act of 1963 to better regulate industrial air pollution.

Uploaded by

Faris Izzlan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SIH2014 ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS

DONORA
SMOG
1948
A presentation by Group 5
Sabrina Syakirah Ayunie Dania Farah
DESCRIPTION

DONORA
SMOG 1948
How was this disaster
first detected?
27th October
Smog started to appear.

29th October
Smog began to envelop the town

30th October
concentration of toxic pollutants in the
air was at its highest level
31th October

20 residents of Donora had died


Half of the town's population of 14,000 residents had been
sickened
Another 50 residents died of respiratory causes within a month
after the incident
HOW WAS THE POLLUTION
SOURCE DETECTED ?

Observation of Local Weather Examination of Regulatory


Industrial Operations Conditions Pollutants Response
Donora had heavy A temperature Analyzing Identifying the
industries, including inversion trapped pollutants in the pollution source
a zinc smelter and a pollutants close air helped led to new
steel mill. to the ground. identify the regulations.
source.
Observations of
This is why the The Donora
ongoing industrial
pollution became Sulfur dioxide, Smog helped
operations and the
concentrated in fluorides and develop
types of pollutants
the town instead other pollutant environmental
released into the
of dispersing. were found. regulations in US:
atmosphere were the
Clean Air Act of
initial clues to the
1963.
source of the
pollution.
WEATHER
How were the
A dense haze lingered over the
town for several days due to a
responsible
combination of meteorological
factors.
parties
identified?
A temperature inversion
trapped pollutants near the
ground, hindering their
dispersion. by investigation and
analysis of weather
This weather phenomenon condition.
prevented the dissipation of
pollutants, resulting in the
persistent haze.
INDUSTRY

The distinct structure of Donora


cannot outweigh an enterprise
that emits large amounts of
harmful gas into the
atmosphere.

SOCIETY

The town was home to many


zinc smelters and steel mills
that emitted particulate matter
and sulfur dioxide into the
environment.

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