Air pollution hits 12 million

ALMOST 12 million people are living in parts of France where the air quality does not meet European norms, official researchers have found.

The ecology ministry's annual air pollution study, published today, found the number of people exposed to fine particles (called PM10) is up slightly in towns and cities, compared with the previous year, but has fallen in rural and industrial areas.

The European limit is 40 micrograms per cubic metre, with no more than 35 days a year exposed to levels over 50 micrograms.

Paris and Marseille were among the worst-affected, but it is not just traffic that is at the source of the problem - wood fires and farming also give off potentially dangerous emissions.

The government says it will be taking a closer look at the problem at the rentrée, during a conference on the environment in mid-September.

One option being discussed is the creation of low-emission air quality control zones, called Zapa, in the areas where the problem is most serious.