The 1930 Meuse Valley fog between December 1st and December 5th, killed 63 people in Belgium owing to a combination of industrial air pollution and a localized weather inversion.
The River Meuse flows from France through Belgium and the Netherlands before entering the North Sea. The area in the Meuse Valley where the incident occurred, between the cities of Huy and Liege and centered around the town of Engis, was densely populated and had 27 factories. These factories produced zinc, steel, fertilizer, and explosives, amongst many other products. This was added to by large numbers of coal and wood heaters burning due to unseasonably cold weather. There were several thousand cases of illness over the week and the sixty three deaths occurred at the same time, with the first death occurring on December 3. Fifty-six of the deaths were to the east of Engis.[1]
The main symptom was dyspnea (shortness of breath)[1] and the average age of those who died was 62, over a range of ages of 20 to 89 years. The youngest, a 20 year old woman named Louise Dammes, died walking home from a party and may have had undiagnosed asthma that contributed to her death. [2] Cattle in the area were also affected.[3]Kaj Roholm, Danish scientist and the world's leading authority on fluorine, determined that it was the fluorine gas from the nearby factories that was the killer.[1] The exact date of this disaster is unknown. A statue and plaque commemorating those who died were inaugurated in Engis on 2 December 2000.[2]
Due to a similar(albeit less severe) incident that occurred in a nearby valley in 1911 that killed off many cattle, many farmers in the Meuse Valley fled to the hillside during the first two days of the smog, reducing livestock casualties and likely saving the lives of several farmers as well.
^ abcRoholm, K. (1937). "The fog disaster in the Meuse Valley, 1930: A fluorine intoxication". J. Ind. Hyg. Toxicol. 19 (3): 126–137.
^ abNemery, Benoit; Peter HM Hoet, Abderrahim Nemmar (2001). "The Meuse Valley fog of 1930: an air pollution disaster". The Lancet. 357 (9257): 704–708. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04135-0. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 11247570. S2CID 664860.
^Firket, J. (1936). "Fog along the Meuse valley". Transactions of the Faraday Society. 32: 1192. doi:10.1039/TF9363201192. ISSN 0014-7672.
External linksedit
The Meuse Valley fog of 1930: an air pollution disaster. The Lancet
December 15, 2023
1930, meuse, valley, between, december, december, killed, people, belgium, owing, combination, industrial, pollution, localized, weather, inversion, engisclass, notpageimage, location, engis, within, belgium, river, meuse, flows, from, france, through, belgium. The 1930 Meuse Valley fog between December 1st and December 5th killed 63 people in Belgium owing to a combination of industrial air pollution and a localized weather inversion Engisclass notpageimage The location of Engis within Belgium The River Meuse flows from France through Belgium and the Netherlands before entering the North Sea The area in the Meuse Valley where the incident occurred between the cities of Huy and Liege and centered around the town of Engis was densely populated and had 27 factories These factories produced zinc steel fertilizer and explosives amongst many other products This was added to by large numbers of coal and wood heaters burning due to unseasonably cold weather There were several thousand cases of illness over the week and the sixty three deaths occurred at the same time with the first death occurring on December 3 Fifty six of the deaths were to the east of Engis 1 The main symptom was dyspnea shortness of breath 1 and the average age of those who died was 62 over a range of ages of 20 to 89 years The youngest a 20 year old woman named Louise Dammes died walking home from a party and may have had undiagnosed asthma that contributed to her death 2 Cattle in the area were also affected 3 Kaj Roholm Danish scientist and the world s leading authority on fluorine determined that it was the fluorine gas from the nearby factories that was the killer 1 The exact date of this disaster is unknown A statue and plaque commemorating those who died were inaugurated in Engis on 2 December 2000 2 Due to a similar albeit less severe incident that occurred in a nearby valley in 1911 that killed off many cattle many farmers in the Meuse Valley fled to the hillside during the first two days of the smog reducing livestock casualties and likely saving the lives of several farmers as well See also editSmog 1939 St Louis smog 1948 Donora smog United States Great Smog of London 1966 New York City smog 2013 Harbin smog China 2013 Smog in DelhiReferences edit a b c Roholm K 1937 The fog disaster in the Meuse Valley 1930 A fluorine intoxication J Ind Hyg Toxicol 19 3 126 137 a b Nemery Benoit Peter HM Hoet Abderrahim Nemmar 2001 The Meuse Valley fog of 1930 an air pollution disaster The Lancet 357 9257 704 708 doi 10 1016 S0140 6736 00 04135 0 ISSN 0140 6736 PMID 11247570 S2CID 664860 Firket J 1936 Fog along the Meuse valley Transactions of the Faraday Society 32 1192 doi 10 1039 TF9363201192 ISSN 0014 7672 External links editThe Meuse Valley fog of 1930 an air pollution disaster The Lancet Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1930 Meuse Valley fog amp oldid 1188133880, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
