Air pollution from cars, factories and homes shortens the lives of everyone in Britain by an average of eight months, according to an official study.

Ministers warned that chemicals from car exhausts, ships and industrial sites were still having "a marked effect on health" despite efforts to cut pollution.

They insisted that air in Britain was cleaner than at any time since the 19th century but expected to miss targets to reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide, ozone and particles.

Nitrogen dioxide and particles, mainly produced by traffic, irritate the airways of the lungs and can exacerbate lung diseases. Ozone at ground level is produced when pollution reacts with sunlight.

Opposition MPs and environmental groups expressed alarm at the continuing risk to health. But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it was hitting targets for cutting pollution in 99 per cent of Britain.

The department said that a strategy to cut harmful emissions between now and 2020 could increase average life expectancy by three months by implementing curbs on emissions from cars and trucks, limiting industrial pollution and other measures, including road pricing.

Ben Bradshaw, the Environment Minister, said: "Air pollution is not declining as quickly as expected. We need to move faster and take further measures to move us closer to meeting our objectives.

"Pollutants from our cars, ships and industrial plants are still having a marked effect on our health... This can't continue. The measures outlined in this review would if implemented be a significant step forward."

Officials said problems remained with hitting targets in pollution "hot spots" in some urban areas, but said proposals to further cut pollution levels across the country may have more significant health benefits.

Traffic levels have risen since Labour came to power, despite a pledge by John Prescott in 1998 that Labour would have failed if there were not fewer journeys by car within five years.

Mike Childs, campaigns director of Friends of the Earth, said: "Air quality may be better than it was in 1990, but levels of some pollutants remain too high.

"The Government's failure to deliver on promises to cut transport levels is not only contributing to a reduction in life expectancy from pollution, but is also a major cause of increased climate-change emissions."

Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, called for a move to green taxes to cut pollution. "The Liberal Democrats recognise that green taxes have to rise, while allowing other taxes to fall," he said.

© 2006 Independent News and Media Limited

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