By the mid-nineteenth century, industrial pollution had become a major problem in England. One of its major pollutants were hydrochloric acids from the Alkali industry. The production of soda was vital to England’s textile, soap, and glass industry, but with the increasing demand came increasing acidification that caused extensive damage to vegetation. As a result, a first systematic attempt in emission control was made by the so-called Alkali Act in 1863. Despite several loopholes in this legislation, the Alkali Acts (a second Alkali Act was passed in 1874) significantly reduced emissions from Alkali works and became the basis for air pollution policies throughout the United Kingdom.
Themes:
Regions:
Further Readings:
- MacLeod, Roy M. "The Alkali Acts Administration, 1863-84: The Emergence of the Civil Scientist." Victorian Studies 9, no. 2 (1965): 85-112.
- Russell, Colin Archibal. Chemistry, Society and Environment: A New History of the British Chemical Industry. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2000.
Day:
0
Month:
0
Year:
1863