Appraisal of air pollution in Tennessee : report of a cooperative survey by the U.S. Public Health Service and the State of Tennessee Dept. of Public Health, December 1956-July 1957 / Paul A. Kenline, senior assistant sanitary engineer.
- United States Public Health Service
- Date:
- 1957
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Appraisal of air pollution in Tennessee : report of a cooperative survey by the U.S. Public Health Service and the State of Tennessee Dept. of Public Health, December 1956-July 1957 / Paul A. Kenline, senior assistant sanitary engineer. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![associated with the emission of visible smoke and fly-ash, is responsible for emission of large quantities of pollutants to the atmosphere. Use of these fuels in homes, commerce, industry and trans- portation is increasing at a rate com- mensurate with the rising population and expanding industrialization of the State. Such fuel usage ordinarily is of no air pollution concern in rural areas and smaller cities, but it must be given due consideration in the few larger urban- ized areas of the State where area-wide type pollution problems exist or are developing. Industry contributes a great vari- ety and quantity of pollutants to the atmosphere. These pollution emissions. like those from fuel combustion, are largely but not exclusively concentrated in the urban areas. Unlike pollution from the use of coal, industrial emis- sions to the atmosphere are increasing with the increasing industrialization of the State. Widely reported or particu- larly outstanding emission sources in- clude the following industries: chem- ical (phosphate, and rayon production especially), food, primary metals (espec- ially electrometallurgical and foundry operations), lumber, paper (particularly odors from pulp mills), stone, clay and glass (particularly cement plants), mining, and cotton ginning. Refuse burning on open dumps with the usually resulting smoke and odor problem was reported as a major air pol- lution offender, particularly in the smaller cities. The ahility of the atmosphere to disperse pollutants is determined by topographically influenced climatolog- ical conditions. Generally speaking, these conditions appear favorable to the dispersion of pollutants in west Tennes- see, moderately so in middle Tennessee (the Nashville basin), and least favor- able in east Tennessee. East Tennessee, with its mountain and valley topography and associated poor air circulation, warrants particular concern. This area of the state also has the greatest popu- / lation and industrial concentration, is the largest soft coal user, and shows the greatest potential for population and industrial growth, because of excel- lent water, mineral and fuel resources. Only four cities and a handful of other organizations have made measure- ments of air pollutants. Technical information is lacking on the amount and nature of pollutants, from which de- tailed information relative to air pol- lution levels might be drawn. Such information is useful and necessary in planning an effective air pollution program. Eight areas in the State (Sumner County, Nashville, Dyer County, Chatta- nooga, Hamilton County, Cleveland, Wilson County, and Henderson County) reported the existence of air pollution problems in which the pollution sources were located in another jurisdiction. Some means of providing for an equitable so- lution to these problems of interjuris- dictional]l nature should be provided. Seven cities in the State have air pollution or smoke control ordinances. These are Chattanooga, Dyersburg, Jack- son, Kingsport, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville. Of these, only four (Chatta- nooga, Kingsport, Knoxville and Nash- ville) have control programs, none of which appear to be of sufficient magni- tude to deal effectively with their problems. ‘ It is concluded that air pollution problems exist inmany areas of the State; that these problems arise from many sources and cause nuisance conditions, damage to property, economic loss, and injury to vegetation and animal life; that these problems cannot be handled effectively by existing local activities in most instances; and that there is need for additional activity in the air pollution field at both the State and local levels. The local governments, with reason, look to the State for tech- nical assistance and guidance in meeting their complex air pollution problems.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32175735_0010.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
