Donora Death Fog: The Crisis that Led to Modern Air Pollution Laws

Introduction

• Event: Donora Death Fog, 1948
• Location: Donora, Pennsylvania
• Impact: 20 dead, half the town hospitalized
• Cause: Atmospheric inversion trapping toxic gases

Sequence of Events

• Date: October 26-31, 1948
• Initial Observation: Fog over Donora, thickening by the day
• Impact on Daily Life:
  • Visibility reduced to almost nothing
  • Firefighters unable to navigate
  • High school football game visibility issues
  • U.S. Steel plants ceased operations on October 30
• Aftermath: Permanent respiratory damage among survivors

Causes

• Weather Patterns:
  • An anticyclone replaced a storm system
  • Resulted in a high-pressure system
  • Temperature inversion in the Monongahela River Valley
• Industrial Pollution:
  • Emissions from U.S. Steel’s Donora Zinc Works
  • Pollutants included zinc, cadmium, lead, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide

Health and Environmental Consequences

• Acute Effects: Acute fluorine poisoning
• Long-term Effects: Permanent respiratory damage
• Environmental Impact: Crop destruction, especially corn

Historical Context and Legislation

• Similar Events:
  • Meuse River Valley, Belgium (1930)
  • Poza Rica, Mexico (1950)
  • London Fog, UK (1952)
• Legislation Timeline:
  • California pollution law in 1947
  • 1955 Air Pollution Control Act (Federal)
  • 1963 Clean Air Act (Federal)
  • 1959 Pennsylvania air pollution law
• Creation of EPA: Executive Order by President Nixon in 1970

Legacy

• Donora Smog Museum: "Clean Air Started Here"
• Importance: Led to increased awareness and political action regarding air pollution

Discussion

• Are current laws sufficient to prevent similar events today?

Acknowledgments

• Donora Historical Society
• Donora Smog Museum
• Various academic and governmental sources

References

• Articles and reports from Wired Magazine, Chemical and Engineering News, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other scholarly resources.