State air regulators on Friday adopted the nation’s most sweeping regulation of diesel trucks and buses, requiring all diesel truck owners to either put expensive filters on their rigs or replace their engines.

The California Air Resources Board regulation is designed to reduce the health effects of diesel exhaust, which is blamed for up to 1,000 premature deaths and more than $5 billion in health care costs annually.

The air board estimates the rule will cost the trucking industry at least $5.5 billion over the next 15 years; industry estimates go far higher, up to $10 billion. Whatever the figure, it will be the most expensive smog-fighting rule ever passed in California. The Los Angeles area is home to the largest concentration of trucks and motor carriers in the state.

The air board passed the rule on an 8-0 vote late Friday afternoon after a 2-day hearing in which scores of truck owners and industry representatives blasted the rule. They favor an industry counterproposal that would have extended the deadlines out several years.

During the debate, several board members expressed concern over the sufficiency of grants and loans being made available to truck owners to help offset the cost of converting their trucks. In response, the board ordered the agency to periodically report back on the economic impact of the rule and to recommend changes if necessary.

The regulation requires owners of about 230,000 heavy-duty trucks starting in 2010 to place diesel exhaust filters on their trucks, at a cost of $15,000 to $20,000 per truck. The second, more expensive phase requires truck and bus owners to replace about 350,000 older and dirtier engines by 2025, with older trucks and larger fleets facing earlier replacement deadlines.

The rule applies both to trucks registered in the state and to out-of-state trucks; violators would face stiff fines.