While todays air pollution problems do not approach the severity of the 1948 donora smog and are less visible to the reasonably good eye, pennsylvania still has an ozone pollution problem. Donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. Nov 01, 2017 the donora killer smog introduced the word smog into the us lexiconand the idea that it could kill you, or shorten your life by making you ill, which is now a basic scientific fact. A trip to donora pa must include a stop at the smog museum. Donoras mills belch forth smoke and other substances in a picture from the donora smog museum. A darkness in donora when smog killed 20 people in a pennsylvania mill town in 1948, the clean air movement got its start. I had seen a show on the weather channel about donora and the smog museum a few months ago. A similar episode occurred in october 1948, when what is described as a smog enveloped the town of donora, pennsylvania. 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.
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. Death smog in donora, pennsylvania reading comprehension. Also, sulfur dioxide emissions have dropped 35 percent and carbon monoxide levels have fallen 32 percent. The trace gas species formed in photochemical smog include the secondary oxidants ozone, pans, and inorganic sulfuric and nitric acids. 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 donora smog disaster october 3031, 1948 images. The smog first rolled into donora on october 27, 1948. Subsequent clean air legislation and other regulatory actions led to the reduction of ambient air pollution in many regions of the world, and particularly in the wealthy developed countries of north america and.
Donora s 1948 smog predates that 1952 event by four years and they discuss donora during that specific show. In late october 1948 the monongahela river valley town of donora, pennsylvania was subsumed in a noxious smog. Residents had to keep lights on all day and the high school. Venture outdoors, gasp to hike through donora smog history. Although the mills have long since gone, today donora has a thriving industrial park in the footprint of the original mill. The story of 26 sudden deaths in 1948 is a bleak reminder of why america needs clean air laws. This dissertation explores how investigations of donoras smog reflected and contributed to the power of. A temperature inversion sets the stage for the donora smog of 1948. Founded in 1946, the society and smog museum has exhibits related to the 1948 smog tragedy, founding of.
Apr 22, 2009 smog deaths in 1948 led to clean air laws on oct. Kagawa, jun encyclopedia of life support systems eolss so2 was from 9. In fact, since the acts inception, emissions of toxic lead in the united states have dropped 98 percent. Aside from the 1948 smog incident, the steel mill would serve donora well for the next 60 or so years until it started to close in the late 1950s and finishing in the late 1960s. Donora smog museum 2020 all you need to know before you go. 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. A temperature inversion sets the stage for the donora.
Lois bainbridge of webster, pa, to the governor, october 31, 1948. Donora smog disaster phmc our documentary heritage. 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. Special thanks to the donora smog museum, the donora historical society, and the library of congress teaching with primary sources program at california university of pennsylvania for use of their donora digital collection.
The historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog a 1948 environmental disaster in the pennsylvania town resulted in half truths, conspiracy theories, and the introduction of clean air laws. Before donora, declares marcia spink, associate director for air programs for the u. View all attractions near donora smog museum on tripadvisor. Pittsburghs steel history is still cited in public policies, hilty said. View through the smog of a factory and several smokestacks.
Londontype smog occurs in the regions where 1 emission of the sulfurcontaining compounds is high due to burning of coal to generate heat and energy. What atmospheric phenomenon prompted the 1948 smog episode in donora, pennsylvania. Unesco eolss sample chapters environmental and ecological chemistry vol. Hotels near donora smog museum, donora on tripadvisor. 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. Townsend, chief of the division of industrial hygiene, and by the assistant chief, j. 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. The donora smog gained national attention when walter winchell broadcast news of the disaster on his national radio show.
Environmental protection agencys region iii office in philadelphia, people thought of smog as a nuisance. The towns population has dropped to a third of what its size was 65 years ago, thanks to the closing of the zinc and steel plants that used to provide employment for many of the towns citizens. Smog victim on stretcher, donora, pa, november 4, 1948. Green house gases average temperature increases global warming will decrease. What was the significance of the smog episodes in donora. 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. Donoras 1948 smog predates that 1952 event by four years and they discuss donora during that specific show. What was the significance of the smog episodes in donora, pennsylvania, and london. 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. Formatin and effects of smog encyclopedia of life support. Print a read and math workbook with death smog in donora, pennsylvania reading comprehension.
Tells of the donora smog disaster near pittsburgh pennsylvania. Sep 16, 2019 signage inside the donora smog museum. The last residents of centralia, the town thats burned for 40 years 2003 duration. Rowland and molinas work showed that ultraviolet light in.
The donora smog of 1948 was a historic air inversion pall of smog that killed 20 and sickened 7,000 people in donora, pennsylvania, united states, a mill town on the monongahela river, 24 miles southeast of pittsburgh. 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. Although the mills have long since gone, today donora has a. Weather and geography affect the location and severity of smog. In 1930, in the meuse valley, a period of intense fog in a heavy industrial area resulted in the death of 60 persons. The historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog atlas.
Until october 1948, smoke belching from industrial plants in donora and elsewhere was considered little more than a daily nuisance. While during that last week in october the town seemed to be in chaos from the outside, reports from the pittsburgh postgazette from november 1, 1948 said otherwise. The pennsylvania department of health, united steelworkers, donora s borough council and the us public health service all participated in the investigation of the air pollution incident. What was the significance of the smog episodes in donora, pennsylvannia, and london. Frederick encyclopedia of life support systems eolss smog is presented along. Sometimes a resident of donora is on site to discuss the tragic weather inversion which trapped deadly smog from the zinc works decades ago. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Donora smog museum 2020 all you need to know before you. 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. Donora historical society and smog museum facebook.
Death of 15 laid to smog and at least 50 ill in pittsburgh area. The donora smog helped raise awareness of air pollution and its deadly effects on human beings and has even been credited with jumpstarting the clean air movement in the united states. Nov 29, 2017 the historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog a 1948 environmental disaster in the pennsylvania town resulted in half truths, conspiracy theories, and the introduction of clean air laws. This dissertation explores how investigations of donora s smog reflected and contributed to the power of.
Killer smog in donora pennsylvania october 1948 youtube. 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. The clean air act has prevented another incident like that of the donora smog of 1948 and the london fog of 1952. 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 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. 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 collection of artifacts of this dark time are displayed this is an educational experience. The detroit news, october 31, 1948 donora, pennsylvania smog disaster the front page has one column headings. Unesco eolss sample chapters environmental toxicology and human health vol. Cleaner air is legacy left by donoras killer 1948 smog.
Overall, donora pennsylvania was greatly impacted by the deadly smog event in 1948. 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. Dec 12, 2016 this feature is not available right now. The event is commemorated by the donora smog museum.
Nov 14, 2012 what atmospheric phenomenon prompted the 1948 smog episode in donora, pennsylvania. Scheele, surgeon general of the united states public health service. 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. A museum commemorating the donora smog, which killed 20 people in october 1948 and sparked national outrage over air pollution. The donora smog disaster and the clean air act of 1970. Smog meant that the mills were running and the coke ovens burning. Steel shut down the zinc mill in the 1950s and had turned off the steel mills blast furnaces by 1960. Killer smog in donora, pennsylvania decades tv network duration. Fogs can be viewed as clouds that are in contact with. The donora smog also was the catalyst for the nations first cleanair laws.
Aug 25, 2017 the donora smog disaster of 1948 duration. Frederick encyclopedia of life support systems eolss pollutants. The donora smog museum features a collection of archival materials documenting the donora smog of 1948, an air inversion of smog containing fluorine that killed 20 people in donora, pennsylvania, united states, a mill town 20 miles south of pittsburgh on the monongahela river donora was home to u. At the end of october 1948, the communities of donora and webster in pennsylvania were visited by a smog that. May 09, 2015 a trip to donora pa must include a stop at the smog museum. Case study of air pollution episodes in meuse valley of. Other news of the day throughout including front page reporting on operation hiram. May 24, 2012 the donora smog disaster and the clean air act of 1970. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 262k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. The smog lasted about five days and killed approximately 20 people. Major smog occurrences often are linked to heavy motor vehicle traffic, high temperatures, sunshine, and calm winds.
The historically hazy story of donoras deadly smog. The public dismissed air pollution as a necessary consequence for industrialization d. The event is commemorated by the donora smog museum sixty years later, the incident was described by the new york times as one of the worst air. They soon learned that 20 people were dead and half the town was sick. I case study of air pollution episodes in meuse valley of belgium, donora of pennsylvania, and london, u. Cleaner air is legacy left by donora s killer 1948 smog. On this day, the 63rd anniversary of the donora death fog, lets all take a deep breath and be glad that we can. Todays smog is made from nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compound emissions. Other news, sports and advertisements of the day throughout including front page reporting on operation hiram.
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