WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Tiny soot particles emitted by diesel-fueled cars, trucks and construction equipment are a major contributor to the cancer risk from air pollution, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group said on Thursday.

The environmental group said its findings showed that the Environmental Protection Agency ( news - web sites) should enforce tough anti-pollution standards for diesel trucks, buses, farm tractors, bulldozers and forklifts.

"Americans in every state and county in the continental United States and the District of Columbia were exposed to diesel soot at levels that exceeded the California EPA's cancer benchmark concentration in 1996," PIRG said.

PIRG said its review of scientific studies in recent years found that Americans on average face a 1 in 2,100 risk of developing cancer in their lifetimes from breathing pollutants in the outdoor air.

That is nearly 500 times greater than the 1 in 1 million health protection standard established in the federal Clean Air Act, it said.

The vast majority of the airborne pollution cancer risk is linked to diesel engines, according to the group.

Diesel engines emit a mixture of gases and fine particles that contain some 40 chemicals, including benzene, butadiene, dioxin and mercury compounds.

Last month, the EPA released a report that concluded for the first time that diesel exhaust is a likely human carcinogen. Diesel fumes can also cause eye irritation, nausea and respiratory problems.

The EPA report, based on exposure to exhaust from diesel engines built before the mid-1990s, did not attempt to quantify the cancer risk.

Last year, the EPA issued standards to clean up dirty diesel trucks and buses, which it said would prevent more than 360,000 asthma attacks and 8,300 premature deaths annually.

But the Bush administration said this summer it would consider allowing diesel engine makers to trade emissions credits in a more market-oriented approach to pollution curbs, rather than produce cleaner trucks and buses.

"The administration should reject this flawed approach and honor its commitment to fully implement clean air standards for diesel trucks and buses," PIRG said.

Diesel engine manufacturers such as Caterpillar Inc have tried to delay the rules, contending they need more time to buy and install new technology.

Currently, off-road vehicles such as construction equipment and farm tractors do not have any diesel emission standards, but the EPA has said it will consider adopting regulations.

In 1996, diesel-fueled cars, trucks, bulldozers and other vehicles emitted more than 519,000 tons of diesel soot into the air, PIRG said.

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