How Did Smog Get Its Name?

Question: How Did Smog Get Its Name?

Answer: The term "smog" was first used in London during the early 1900's to describe the combination of smoke and fog that often blanketed the city. According to several sources, the term was first coined by Dr. Henry Antoine des Voeux in his paper, “Fog and Smoke,” which he presented at a meeting of the Public Health Congress in July 1905. The type of smog described by Dr. des Voeux was a combination of smoke and sulphur dioxide, which resulted from the heavy use of coal to heat homes and businesses and to run factories in Victorian England.
When we talk about smog today, we’re referring to a mixture of various air pollutants—nitrogen oxides and other chemical compounds—that combine with sunlight to form ground-level ozone that hangs like a heavy haze over many cities in industrialized countries.