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Scientists Have Figured Out Why London Fog Killed 12,000 People

posted by martyb on Tuesday November 22 2016, @08:41AM   
from the what-acid-rain-feels-like-for-fish? dept.

Phoenix666 writes in with a story from sciencealert:

In December 1952, a dense fog fell over London that lasted roughly four days, dropping visibility and making it hard to breathe. At the time, residents paid little attention to the strange event, writing it off as just another natural fog, but once it lifted, people started dying.

The event – referred to as the Great Smog – led to the death of roughly 12,000 people, and the hospitalisation of up to 150,000. But how could something like this happen? 

[...] Nw [sic], over 60 years later, an international team of researchers might have finally figured it out, as part of an investigation into China's modern air pollution issues.

The answer is actually pretty terrifying – it turns out people were breathing in the fog equivalent of acid rain.

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Original Submission

• Re:Another reason (Score: 2) by darnkitten on Wednesday November 23 2016, @12:31AM

  by darnkitten (1912) on Wednesday November 23 2016, @12:31AM (#431585)

  You do know that there's a vast number of people who live in rural areas and aren't poor. Maybe you should learn what they're doing right?

  In my area, they are:

  1) the descendants of those who struck it rich in the gold/silver/copper fields/mines;
  2) the descendants of those who supplied the gold/silver/copper fields/mines and the miners, prospectors, etc.;
  3) retirees from wealthier areas;
  4) hereditary business owners, some of which fall into the above classes;
  5) landlords, most of which fall into the above classes;
  6) wealthy outsiders.

  Parent

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