EMISSIONS from vehicle engines are forcing pedestrians to inhale the equivalent of up to 30 cigarettes a day in the most polluted areas of major cities.

The oxides of nitrogen (NOx) in the air in some areas of London, such as Marylebone Road, equal the levels in a packet-and-a-half of cigarettes according to the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Association (LPGA).

It claims that LPG could help solve the problem, and that if all London's taxi cabs ran on the green fuel instead of diesel, about 3,000 tonnes of soot a year would not be emitted.

Andrew Ford of the LPGA, said: 'Public authorities must take the lead and as a matter of urgency investigate the wider use of cleaner road fuels.'

Ford claimed that until the advent of zero-emission fuels such as hydrogen, cleaner fuels such as LPG should be a key part of a clean fleet policy. He added: 'It's clear that road traffic pollution has a major impact on air quality and any measures to tackle this must be welcomed.'

Pollution fact file

  • The average adult breathes six litres of air a minute
  • Annual mean pollution on Marylebone Road: 0.1mg per litre of NOx 0.1mg X 6 litres = 0.6mg of NOx inhaled each minute
  • To inhale the equivalent 29mg for one cigarette takes 48 minutes 24 hours/48 minutes – 30 cigarettes

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