Port Talbot is the most polluted place in Wales and the second most polluted urban site in Britain, according to official air quality figures released by Friends of the Earth.

The figures also show rural areas in Wales, such as Narberth in Pembrokeshire and Aston Hill in Powys, as suffering from excessive levels of ozone pollution.

Figures for Wales show that air pollution in Port Talbot exceeded health standards on 82-days last year. The main problem was high levels of fine particles resulting from industrial activity and road traffic.

Port Talbot also suffered excessive levels of ozone on 36 days.

Friends of the Earth has used the Government's data and the Government's method to calculate the value of its Air Quality Indicator for 1999.

This measures the average number of days on which air pollution levels for five main pollutants - ozone, particles, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide - were above the Government's air quality health standards.

The Government has called this a "key quality of life indicator".

Environment Agency data also showed the Port Talbot steel works were the second largest emitter of harmful dioxins in Britain.

'Urgent action'

Rob Jones, of Port Talbot Friends of the Earth, said: "We are calling on the Government, the local authority and industry to act to improve air quality for the sake of the health of local residents and the image of the town.

"The position of Port Talbot near the top of the air pollution tables for three years is unacceptable and urgent action must be taken to clean up industry and traffic emissions.

The monitoring site at Narberth in Pembrokeshire recorded the highest level of ozone of the five monitoring sites in Wales.

The other sites - at Port Talbot, Cardiff, Swansea and Aston Hill in Powys - also recorded numerous days when ozone breached health standards.

Val Jones, of Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, said: "It will surprise many to learn that Pembrokeshire, and other parts of rural Wales, are blighted by high levels of ozone particularly during sunnier weather.

Gordon James, of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: "We are urging the Welsh Assembly to use their powers to set higher standards of air quality in Wales.

"This will help to improve health, to secure the greener image of Wales and to enable the Assembly to progress its duty to promote sustainable development."