The Great Smog of London resulted from industrial and household air pollution combined with unusual weather conditions. On December 5, a high-pressure system settled over the city. It trapped cold air near the ground beneath a layer of warmer air, preventing emissions from factories, domestic coal fires, and diesel vehicles from rising and blowing away. Coal burning released sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, which created a yellow, harmful mix of sulfate particles and diluted sulfuric acid droplets that Londoners breathed.
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