Evening star., 1932-07-29
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SCIENCE WINS WAR
ON death FOG'
Two Discoveries End Menace
in u. S. of Poison That
Wrought Havoc in War.

The death fog menace soon will be
O thing of the past.
Two important discoveries were an
nounced today flum tie headquarters
of the American Chemical Society mere,
aimed at freeing the cir of American
industrial cities from sulphur oioXide,
the noXious gas which is found in coal
smoke. 1t struck most sensationally in
the Meuse Valley in Belgium in De-
cember. 1880. when go persons choke1
to death in a strang yellow fog which
spread over the countryside.
This poison fog, it now has been as
.certained, was due to the sulphur dioX-
ide from factory chimneyS and prob
ably no industrial center is entirely
free from such a menace II msteoro-
logical conditions are right.
The first of the new discoveries is by
s. w. Griffin and w. w. Skinner Of
the Bureau of Chemistry and Soils OF
the Department of Agriculture. It con-
sists of al apparatus by which sulphur
dioxide in the atmosphere is absorbe1
in an iodine solution. From the amount
of iodine used up the chemists are able
to calculate the percentage OF sulphur
IN the air. Thus community can be
warned as soon as this reaches dam
gerous proportions.
Struggle of Europe.
Griffin and Skinner point out that
FOR nearly century continental Eu-
rope has been trying to free itself from
the pail of smoke which hangs over m
dustrial centers.
In the United States" the report
continues. "a number OF lmport9nt
smoke surveys now are in progress. The
city dweller has come to UNDERSTAND
that smoke contains invisible, aclo.
forming constituents which may De OF
vast Importance as property oeStroyers'
Rural and suburban communities have
suffered to moderate degrees from the
drift from nearby cities of the dense
coal smoke and from the sulphur
dioxide and sulphur trioxide released
into the air in the combustion OF sui
phur-containing fuel.
"Far greater damage is done to agri-
cultural enterprises by smoke, fumes
and gas released into the air in con-
nection with large scale ore-reducmg
and refining operations, such as roast
ing and smelling of sulphur containing
ores and concentrates OF copper, leac,
zinc and iron. Some OF these great
plants emit hundreds Of tons OF sui
Dhur dioxide into the air daily. This
gas NAV be diluted millions OF times
and still be present in measurable
quantities. so that it is not surprising
that examination Of the atmosphere
often reveals the gas many miles from
the source of pollution. Only in recent
years has a growing realization OF the
Significance of minute quantities OF THIS
gas in the air given impetus to study
of improved methods in its determine
ton and of its effects in very low con-
centrations, particularly on Vegetatlon'
Would Clear Coal
The second discovery reported by the
American Chemical Society is by Dr.
Robert D. Snow of the University OF IL
linois. and if the method proves sue
cessful in actual practice may eliminate
sulphur dioxide from the atmosphere
almost entirely. DR.. SHOWS method in
wolves taking sulphur out of coal at the
mines before it is shipped. The coal
first is ground and then treated with an
acid solution.
1t is believed that part of the sulphur
can be recovered for commercial use.
Some Goals contain from 2 to 5l2 per
cent. AS much as SO per cent OF the
sulphur originally in the coal can be
removed by this process, DR.. Snow says.
Even in very dilute quantities., &C
eording to the American Chemical So
ciety report, sulphur dioxide in the air
will corrode steel and other metal OBJ
jects. and is destructive of marble, brick
and mortar. Paint and other protective
coatings are now the chief means OF
preserving structures attacked by the
gas. 1t must be present in considerably
more concentrated quantities before 1t
becomes dangerous to plant and animal
life.