Nineteenth century air pollution variations in Paris inferred from Eiffel Tower potential gradient measurements

Early surface measurements of atmospheric Potential Gradient were made in many European cities in the nineteenth century (C19th). The data was usually obtained at hourly resolution, and good accounts of the calibration of the instruments are also often available. The PG measurements made by Chauveau on the Eiffel Tower, soon after its completion in the 1890s, are particularly notable. Atmospheric electrical proxy techniques in combination with simple boundary layer meteorology are used to determine air pollution levels. The C19th PG measurements in both polluted and clean Parisian air present a unique resource for European air pollution and atmospheric composition studies.