FoE say Port Talbot is "most polluted in Wales'

Aberthaw power station also features among the factories releasing dioxins, while BP at Llandarcy and Texaco at Pembroke are a league of companies listed for releasing "cancer-causing chemicals".

Friends of the Earth (FoE) has called for a commitment by industry to reduce toxic emissions by 80% by the year 2005.

Earlier this year, FoE described Port Talbot as the most polluted place in Wales and the second most polluted urban site in Britain.

The claims were based on official air quality figures released by the environmental group.

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

Llanwern is one of the top two releasers of dioxins

Figures for Wales showed that air pollution in Port Talbot exceeded health standards on 82-days last year.

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

Friends of the Earth has used the government's data and the its 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.

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."