So far, 39 health professionals have signed a petition protesting against a plan to dig a new quarry on the former Hamble Airfield.

The petition was lodged with Hampshire County Council during the second round of public consultation into the proposed quarry, which ended on January 16.

The petition was set up by Hamble Residents Group and Blackthorn Health Centre. 

One of those professionals is Professor Stephen Holgate CBE, a Medical Research Council clinical professor of immunopharmacology and honorary consultant physician within medicine at the University of Southampton. 

He provided the majority of medical and scientific evidence on asthmatic Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, a nine-year-old London girl who died from air pollution in 2013.

Ella was the first person in the UK who had air pollution listed as the cause of death on her death certificate.

READ MORE: Hamble Airfield quarry plans: Hundreds protest CEMEX scheme

Her mother, Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, has been campaigning for the last ten years to improve air quality.

In a statement, Professor Holgate said: "It has been well known for many years that air pollution is a trigger for lung conditions like asthma, and there is mounting evidence it is also a cause.

"Its damaging effects, from the moment we are conceived until old age, are well documented; with evidence linking it to lung damage, cancer, cardiovascular disease and even cognitive impairment."

The open letter was signed by Professor Holgate and created in conjunction with the Hamble Peninsular Residents Group. 

The group's submission to the county council's consultation says: "Awareness in Hamble is not low and Hampshire County Council – we are making you aware.

"Hamble already has poor air quality. Do not put the health of thousands of residents on a knife edge like that of Ella Kissi-Debrah. It would simply be inexcusable. 

"We fully support the concerns set out by Blackthorn Health Centre. There appears to be no precedent in the UK for a quarry close to a residential community. 

"The proposals risk placing further demand on the already overwhelmed NHS and emergency services.

"Cemex has incorrectly modelled their traffic data, and therefore, the outcome of their air quality analysis is also wrong and most likely severely underestimated."

GPs from Blackthorn Health Centre’s say in their letter that the health implications from the quarry “are vast”.

They said: "We remain extremely concerned about the short- and long-term implications for our patient’s health. 

"Cemex’s assessments appear to use models with questionable data inputs and rely on the ‘sensitive receptors’ remaining outside the arbitrary boundaries of the worse pollution.

"It’s commonly understood that air pollution damages the lungs; however, particulates small enough to enter the bloodstream can cause systemic inflammation and wreak havoc (damage, disruption, or destruction) on our natural bodily functions in almost every organ in the human body.

"Over 2,300 of our registered patients suffer with a respiratory condition; approximately half of these are associated with asthma. Any worsening of airborne pollutants coupled with exposure to construction dust will have implications for our patients.

“Over seven per cent of patients currently receive treatment for mental health disorders, over 19 per cent receive treatment for cardiovascular disease and 13 per cent for respiratory conditions."

Hamble Lane has already been highlighted as an area of concern by Eastleigh Borough Council in its Air Quality Action Plan.

The residents’ group leader, Emma Westmacott, said: “There are new government guidelines for pollution, and there are maximums – our pollution locally is already above the desired level, it is not over maximum, but the maximum is not a target!”

GPs point out that in quarrying activities, particulate matter (PM – tiny particles or droplets of chemicals that can be found in the air) “carries the additional risk of containing respirable crystalline silica (RCS), a common component of sand and gravel.

“Silica dust is a carcinogen and toxic when inhaled. RCS cannot be metabolised or removed by the body’s natural defences. 

“Upon inhalation, the body’s immune response leads to permanent scarring of those delicate tissues, thus preventing oxygen from getting into the bloodstream and leading to silicosis. 

“There is no treatment to remove it as it lodges deep in the lungs permanently and accumulates throughout the duration of exposure. 

“Symptoms of silicosis may not, in some cases, manifest themselves for 15 to 20 years after exposure.

Cemex previously said it is “confident the site can be operated without any significant adverse effects".

It added: “We have addressed the issues arising in terms of highways, air quality and noise in our Environmental Impact Assessment, and we are confident that the site can be operated without any significant adverse effects, as we do at many other sites around the country.

“Health and safety is the most important issue for Cemex as a business, and one we take extremely seriously,” it said in a statement.