AIR pollution at Cribbs Causeway is so toxic that the area is due to be given special attention.

South Gloucestershire Council is considering designating the roundabout at Junction 17 of the M5, the turn off for Easter Compton and Severn Beach, as an air quality management area because of high levels of nitrogen dioxide.

The gas is a pollutant directly linked to vehicle exhaust emissions and is toxic to inhale. It has a biting odour that can easily be detected and in a recent study, links were discovered between exposure to the gas and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Steve Evans, director of community services, said: "Air pollutants can arise from a variety of sources, including road and other transport, industry, and the commercial and domestic sectors.

"The aim of the review and assessment process is to identify areas where the air quality objectives are, or are like to be, exceeded.

"As the objectives are health based, compliance with the objectives is assessed at location where there is relevant public exposure."

The council has now launched a consultation on whether the busy roundabout junction, along with the centre of Staple Hill and Kingswood High Street, should be subject to air quality controls.

The three locations were assessed between January 2007 and April 2008 and were found to exceed the acceptable levels of nitrogen dioxide and were likely to continue exceeding the limit.

All areas were seen as posing a threat to the public and if the council does not do anything about it, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has threatened to name and shame the authority for not fulfilling its duties to protect the public.

Cllr Pat Rooney, (Lab, Kingswood) Labour group spokesman on the environment, said she was disappointed how long it would take before any real action took place.

She said: "First the council has to consult on the definition of the areas. That will take until October.

"Then the council has said that it has to undertake even more monitoring until December 2010. It appears that it won't be until the spring of 2011 before anything is to be done about the poor air quality."

Cllr Shirley Potts (Lab, Staple Hill) said: "The council has been monitoring air quality across South Gloucestershire since the mid-1990s.

"This is not a problem that they have suddenly discovered. It's disappointing that no real action will be taken for so long."