On this day, the 63rd anniversary of the donora death fog, lets all take a deep breath and be glad that we can. The pollutants from the factories caused the meuse valley smog in the year 1930 in belgium, which caused shortness of breath amongst the people. The ownertech said that the rules have been updated and that since the cat on my car doesnt have part number eo number on it, its not legal. It persists for five days, leading to the deaths of at least 4,000 people. Smog meant that the mills were running and the coke ovens burning. Cleaner air is legacy left by donoras killer 1948 smog. Green house gases average temperature increases global warming will decrease. How it is affecting the environment conclusion we should manage the amount of carbon we are producing and not to over use our resources donora became more cautious and continues to fight for clean air. At the end of october 1948, the communities of donora and webster in pennsylvania were visited by a smog that.
For those who wont be in the monongehela river valley any time soon, a number of. Donora the day after a deadly smog cleared over donora, the local newspaper lobbied for a full investigation into the poisonous air that had just killed 20 people. Both are communityoriented archives functioning in diverse ways in response to very different aftermaths. Donora smog occurred in donora, pennsylvania reported in the year 1948. Staying right puts you on mckean avenue and your journey to some of the most unique history in the usa. A story from the harts my mother, june, second from left, with her sister and parents on her wedding day in in 1952 in webster, pennsylvania, across the monongahela river from the infamous donora zinc works. Ozone concentrations were observed to be highest in the studies of air quality. Death smog in donora, pennsylvania questions edhelper. Overall, donora pennsylvania was greatly impacted by the deadly smog event in 1948. Even the air, however, as the dweller in industrial areas well knows. About 14,000 people lived on the west bank, inside. The term oxidizes means to add o2 to hc making it h20 and co2 adding o2 to co making it co2.
Smog tests are required by most states before a registration renewal. During the summer season when the temperatures are warmer and there is more sunlight present, photochemical smog is the dominant type of smog formation. Residents were used to pollution from the towns cluster of industries that formed the bedrock of the regions economy making steel, wire and nails. Nov 14, 2012 what atmospheric phenomenon prompted the 1948 smog episode in donora, pennsylvania. I had seen a show on the weather channel about donora and the smog museum a few months ago. This site has the entire 5,672 page text of the 2008 clean air act in pdf format. The donora smog museum is a storefront that houses materials about a deadly 1948 inversion smog that trapped air pollution. A temperature inversion sets the stage for the donora.
Because temperature regulates the length of time it takes for smog to form, smog can occur more quickly and be more severe on a hot, sunny day. The donora tragedy and other smog problems provoked congressional hearings that led to the air pollution control act of 1955, the clean air act of 1963, and the air quality act of 1967. What atmospheric phenomenon prompted the 1948 smog episode in donora, pennsylvania. From the ballad death in donora, recorded by folklorist dan hoffman folks in pittsburgh, johnstown, connellsville and the other steel and mining towns of western pennsylvania were used to smog. Other news, sports and advertisements of the day throughout including front page reporting on operation hiram. Until october 1948, smoke belching from industrial plants in donora and elsewhere was considered little more than a daily nuisance. Donora, pennsylvania smog killed 26 people and proved the. Overview of airborne metals regulations, contemporary. Public debate and corporate diplomacy in donoras fight for clean. The content of the brochure is divided into an introduction, biologic studies, atmospheric studies, which include many subheadings, such as a collection of the atmospheric pollutants, determination of the nature of these pollutants, a description of the various plant operations in the donora area, as well as the consideration of the pollution. Cleaner air is legacy left by donora s killer 1948 smog.
Donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. Smog is often categorized as being either summer smog or winter smog. Produced from nitrogen in air when it comes into contact with hot engine parts this is why your car has a catalytic converter volatile organics vocs. Taken at noon on october 29, 1948, this picture shows the deadly smog blanketing donora. Photochemical smog, which occurs most prominently in urban areas that.
Killer smog in london, england, and donora, pennsylvania, in the 1950s. The other factors reported were coughing fits, rapid breathing, nausea, vomiting, etc. Lois bainbridge of webster, pa, to the governor, october 31, 1948. Of those few freedoms that remain to hunted man, the air he breathes has been considered as a fundamental right, common to all. Also, sulfur dioxide emissions have dropped 35 percent and carbon monoxide levels have fallen 32 percent. Great smog of london, lethal smog that covered the city of london for five days december 59 in 1952, caused by a combination of industrial pollution and highpressure weather conditions. Both the monongahela memorial and charleroimonessen hospitals became too crowded, and the town had to convert its community center into a morgue. Kagawa jun department of hygiene and public health, school of medicine, tokyo womens medical university, japan keywords. The donora smog disaster and the clean air act of 1970. New california catalytic converter regulations i recently went to the same smog shop ive used for the past 6 years. Annals of medicine about the smog that blanketed the city of donora, pa. What was the significance of the smog episodes in donora, pennsylvania, and london. We live about 45 hours from there, so my husband and i planned an overnight trip to pittsburgh and this was one of the attractions we wanted to visit.
A darkness in donora when smog killed 20 people in a pennsylvania mill town in 1948, the clean air movement got its start. Photochemical smog demonstration, jesse miller, chemist corner, 8202008 nakrion. Apr 22, 2009 smog deaths in 1948 led to clean air laws on oct. They soon learned that 20 people were dead and half the town was. Secondary pollutant complex chemistry of smog nitrogen oxides and volatile organics in uv radiation brown haze. Catalytic converter testing the first catalytic converter was created before the use of onboard computer systems its job was to oxidize hc and co into co2 and h2o. It got its name from a combination of william donner and nora mellon, banker andrew w. Oct 27, 2014 donora, pa fortysix years ago this week, a thick noxious cloud enveloped donora, a steel mill town on a lush hillside above the monongahela river 37 miles south of pittsburgh.
An air pollution disaster over the two southwestern pennsylvania towns of donora and webster in october 1948 took dozens of lives, left thousands literally gasping for breath, and motivated the united states public health service phs to enter the arena of air pollution policy. Urban smog history of smog smog photochemistry definitions null cycle. A museum commemorating the donora smog, which killed 20 people in october 1948 and sparked national outrage over air pollution. By friday, folks were crowding into local hospitals, but that didnt stop the halloween parade that same evening, when costumed. A secret history of americas worst air pollution disaster. The donora smog event was devastating to the town, state and country. The event is commemorated by the donora smog museum. Donora s 1948 smog predates that 1952 event by four years and they discuss donora during that specific show. This dissertation explores how investigations of donora s smog reflected and contributed to the power of. Donora smog museum 2020 all you need to know before you go.
Donora smog disaster phmc our documentary heritage. Between october 26, and october 31, 1948 an air inversion trapped industrial. The 1948 donora smog was a historic smog event that killed 20 people and caused respiratory. Donora has a rich history and the donora historical society has been preserving that history since 1946. The 1948 donora smog was a historic smog event that killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems for 7,000 people of the 14,000 population of donora, pennsylvania, a mill town on the monongahela river 24 miles 39 km southeast of pittsburgh. The 1948 donora smog was a historic smog event that killed 20 people and caused respiratory problems for 6,000 people of the 14,000 population of donora, pennsylvania, a mill town on the monongahela river 24 miles 39 km southeast of pittsburgh. Residents had to keep lights on all day and the high school football teams couldnt see their opponents. Donora smog museum in donora donora smog museum 595 mckean. Find donora smog museum in donora with address, phone number from yahoo us local. In fact, since the acts inception, emissions of toxic lead in the united states have dropped 98 percent. Weather and geography affect the location and severity of smog. Bodies were stored in the donora hotel, one of the towns historic structures still standing on the same road as the donora smog museum, opened in 2009 to keep alive the memory and lessons of. Death of 15 laid to smog and at least 50 ill in pittsburgh area.
Sulfurous smog results from a high concentration of sulfur oxides in the air and is caused by the use of sulfurbearing fossil fuels, particularly coal. Smog kills thousands in england heavy smog begins to hover over london, england, on december 4, 1952. Summer smog is primarily associated with the photochemical formation of ozone. Thompson and ciocco also conducted a study of cancer deaths in donora from 1948 to 1957, as well as those in arsenal, pennsylvania, a district near pittsburgh. Smog victim on stretcher, donora, pa, november 4, 1948. In the book, you mention a very wellknown incident. Donora, pennsylvania smog killed 26 people and proved the us. Helmuth herman, 1902 author heimann, harry, 1890 author. Air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, heavy metals. The detroit news, october 31, 1948 donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. Donora smog museum 2020 all you need to know before you. She was charged with studying the effects of the 1948 donora smog, so she specifically looked into the effects of inhaling sulfuric acid by experimenting on guinea pigs. Many credit the literary works of henry david thoreau or teddy roosevelts patronage of national parks as the roots of the green movement in the us.
Please learn more about our history while visiting this website, our facebook page donora historical society adn smog museum, or stop by our museum to see our vast collection of artifacts related to our town next to yours the best town. Donora residents did not want this event to be part of their towns image. The next event occurred in 1948 in donora, pennsylvania, an event also known as the donora smog of 1948. This pledge must be kept until it is redeemed by a true bill of health which donora must now earn out of its tragedy, the heraldamericans frontpage editorial stated. In when smoke ran like water, the worldrenowned epidemiologist devra davis confronts the public triumphs and private failures of her lifelong battle against environmental pollution.
A murderous villain terrorized the town of donora during the last week of october 1948. This combination of smoke and fog brought the city to a near standstill and resulted in thousands of deaths. At the end of october 1948, the communities of donora and webster in pennsylvania were visited by a smog that changed the face of environmental protection. No one was prepared for the black cloud that swallowed donora, a monongahela mill town, just a short drive south from pittsburgh, on tuesday, october 26, 1948. Organization name address the city, state, and zip code for every address in this list is donora, pa 15033. Overview of airborne metals regulations, exposure limits, health effects, and contemporary research draft. The donora fluoride fog a secret history of americas worst air pollution disaster this article appears in the fall 1998 earth island journal, by chris bryson. This sign, refurbished in 2019, greets visitors as they come across the stan the man musial bridge into donora. The smog lasted about five days and killed approximately 20 people. Mary ochsenhirt amdur february 18, 1921 february 16, 1998 was an american toxicologist and public health researcher who worked primarily on pollution. The donora smog disaster october 3031, 1948 images. May 24, 2012 the donora smog disaster and the clean air act of 1970. The clean air act has prevented another incident like that of the donora smog of 1948 and the london fog of 1952.
The city of donora is located in the valley of the monongahela river some 50 km south of pittsburgh. Stay on mckean for two red lights to arrive at your destination. The boroughs nickname is the home of champions, mainly because of the large number of famous athletes who have called donora their home. Great smog of london, lethal smog that covered the city of london for five. A different type of smog was observed for the firs t time. Revenues, and form 990 pdf files with a membership or data download. Case study of air pollution episodes in meuse valley of. The silent killer took the lives of 20 people and left thousands of others in its wake. For those who wont be in the monongehela river valley any time soon, a number of the museums photographs have been archived online. Residents had to keep lights on all day and the high school. Donora, pa fortysix years ago this week, a thick noxious cloud enveloped donora, a steel mill town on a lush hillside above the monongahela river 37 miles south of pittsburgh.
In late october 1948 the monongahela river valley town of donora, pennsylvania was subsumed in a noxious smog. Oct 27, 2011 on this day, the 63rd anniversary of the donora death fog, lets all take a deep breath and be glad that we can. Meuse valley episode, donora episode, london episode contents 1. She documents the shocking toll of a publichealth disaster300,000 deaths a year in the u. Air pollution in donora, pa epidemiology of the unusual. The donora tragedy and other smog problems provoked congressional hearings that led to the. Major smog occurrences often are linked to heavy motor vehicle traffic, high temperatures, sunshine, and calm winds. Nov 01, 2017 the story of 26 sudden deaths in 1948 is a bleak reminder of why america needs clean air laws. The air was polluted by local steel plants, railroad yards and zinc works.
Pdf smog induces oxidative stress and microbiota disruption. The book features a two page spread that shows the smog museum image, as well a brief story on the 1948 smog and a mention of the donora historical society, the smog museum and this website. In 1952 london, 12,000 people died from smog heres why. Formatin and effects of smog encyclopedia of life support. The anniversary of the worst recorded industrial air pollution accident in us history which occurred 50 years ago this october in donora, pennsylvania will go virtually unmarked. The story of 26 sudden deaths in 1948 is a bleak reminder of why america needs clean air laws.
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