Marylanders breathe unsafe levels of cancer-producing toxins from car emissions, according to a new report by Environment Maryland, a nonprofit advocacy group.

Doctors, environmentalists and legislators gathered at Baltimore’s Sinai Hospital on Wednesday for the release of the report, called “Cars and Cancer: Toxic Pollution from Cars and Trucks in Maryland.”

Every county in Maryland has toxin levels in the air that are more than 10 times higher than the federal standard, the reports says.

And the pollutants are a major factor in cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia, said Gwen DuBois, an internist at Sinai.

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Baltimore City has the highest rate of three toxins that were surveyed, with 62 times more of the pollution than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standard. Montgomery and Baltimore counties both have about 45 times more of the pollution than the federal standard, the report states.

“The numbers are staggering,” said Brad Heavner, state director of Environment Maryland. “When something is 50 percent over the standard, you take notice.”

More than 84 percent of pollution surveyed in the report comes from car emissions, the report says. To remedy the health threat, the Maryland Legislature should enact the Clean Cars Program this year in order to clean the air and lessen associated health risks, Heavner said.

The program is already in effect in 11 states, with Pennsylvania signing on about a month ago.

“The fact that 11 other states have already adopted it puts Maryland very much behind. We cannot wait any longer,” said state Delegate Elizabeth Bobo, a Howard County Democrat who plans to submit legislation for the program in the House of Delegates during the upcoming session.

The Clean Cars Program would require car dealerships to sell more cars that use advanced technology, such as hybrids. The program would also tighten emissions standards for new cars.

The program would lessen emission of the pollutants by 57 percent to 79 percent by 2027, which would be equal to taking 190,000 cars off the state’s roads, Heavner said.

lgreenback@baltimoreexaminer.com