Dirty air

The European Commission has threatened to take the UK to the European Court of Justice over air quality breaches. The government received a second and "final" warning from the commission after the levels of dangerous airborne particles, or PM10s, in London exceeded EU limits. The Commission judged that London did not have any real plans for cleaning up the air and would not be able to reduce pollution by the time the exemption period expired in 2011.

The commission says high levels of PM10 may lead to serious health problems."Air pollution is bad for our health. It reduces human life expectancy by more than eight months on average and by more than two years in the most polluted cities and regions," said the EU's environment commissioner Janez Potocnik.

Small enough to be inhaled, PM10s are emitted mainly by cars, factories and domestic heating systems. Breathing in too much of these pollutants may lead to asthma, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer and premature death, said the commission. According to the charity Environmental Protection UK, some 35,000 people die from particle pollution in the country every year - and as many as 4,300 in London alone.