He attributes what his doctors label "congestion" to a reaction to the dust from nearby Brooklyn.

"I used to ride 800kilometres a week and now I struggle to do 150," he said. "I only twigged when we found out about the dust problems."

Air quality monitoring recently by the Environment Protection Agency found that dust particles exceeded acceptable levels [50 micrograms per cubic metre] on 13 days out of 100.

The first time Mr Atkinson, 42, and his wife tried to ride the new Federation Trail from Brooklyn to Werribee he vomited from the smells of the abattoirs and rendering plants.

"We don't really want to bring up a family in this area," he said. "Unfortunately we have invested a fair bit into the home [which they bought two years ago]."

Other residents say their lives have also been ruined by dust and odour. Linda Trewern, a registered nurse, bought her house at Brooklyn four years ago. "There are times I hate living here. The stench of stale urine, it is gut-wrenching."

Mrs Trewern has called on the EPA to now test the composition of the dust.

Annunciation Primary School principal Mark Freeman said the pupils would stay inside on high-risk days when temperatures in the 30s combined with strong north-west winds.

"Our incidents of asthma are right on or below state average. Our kids are as healthy and active as any others."

Bruce Light, of the On the Nose Community Group, said residents were concerned about their health and house prices.

He himself has a constantly sore throat and has had CCT scans, X-rays.He said the Department of Health had informed him there was a "minor risk" to people living in the area.