Problems with Leaf Blowers

Multiple Types of Landscaping Pollution from One Device

Leaf blowers are one of the worst sources of landscaping pollution, contributing to air and noise pollution, by blasting microbes, fungi, pesticides, and other pollutants into the air, as well as the leaf blowers' own emissions.

Air Pollution & Greenhouse Gases

"The California Air Resources Board has estimated that operating a gas-powered leaf blower for an hour emits as much smog-forming polluting as driving a Toyota Camry from Los Angeles to Denver. How is that even possible? Many leaf blowers use a wildly inefficient “two-stroke” engine, which mixes oil and gasoline and spits out as much as a third of that fuel as unburned aerosol. The outdated design is cheap, powerful, and really loud and dirty.

“I definitely think people underestimate the risks,” said Michael Brauer, a professor of public health at the University of British Columbia. 

A study in 2015 found that lawn mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, and other lawn equipment accounted for a quarter of all emissions of cancer-causing benzene in 2011. They also accounted for 17 percent of volatile organic compounds and 12 percent of nitrogen oxides, the primary pollutants of smog, and were responsible for 20 million tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions — about 4 percent of what passenger cars emitted in 2011." - Grist: Leaf Blower Bans Air Pollution Noise

"A report in late October showed that emissions from lawn equipment grew to 30 million tons of CO2 in 2020, more than was spewed by the entire city of Los Angeles. Gas-powered tools also emitted a shocking amount of PM2.5, fine particulate matter that’s linked to lung cancer, heart disease, dementia, and other health problems. In 2020, they released 21,800 tons of PM2.5, or as much as 234 million cars produce in a year, according to the new data." - Grist: Leaf Blower Bans Air Pollution Noise

“The big picture is that cars have gotten cleaner and cleaner and cleaner and cleaner, and this kind of equipment has not,” Brauer said. “And so this has become evident as a more important source of pollution.” Because vehicle regulations have become so strict in California, for example, small, off-road engines like those found in leaf blowers emit more smog-producing emissions than all the 14 million passenger cars in the state." - Grist: Leaf Blower Bans Air Pollution Noise

Other Air Contaminants

In addition to the fuel burned and machine-related pollutants, there are also pathogens, pollens, fungi, heavy metals, microplastics, and various types of pesticides that are blasted into the air creating dangerous clouds that can cause asthma attacks and other serious health conditions. These are hazards both for the people wielding leaf blowers, as well as anyone nearby, even those walking or cycling past.

Noise Pollution

"Even their noise poses a health concern. Gasoline-powered leaf blowers operate at a low frequency, allowing the noise to carry over long distances and penetrate through walls. “People can’t get away from the sound,” Banks said. “So you go in your house, you close your windows, you shut your doors, and you can still hear it.” 

A study conducted by Banks and the EPA in 2017 found that commonly used lawn equipment was louder than the World Health Organization’s recommended limit of 55 decibels up to 800 feet away. And every 5-decibel increase in the average daily noise level around people’s home leads to a 34 percent increase in heart attacks and strokes, according to Harvard research in 2020." - Grist: Leaf Blower Bans Air Pollution Noise

Organizations

• The Quiet Clean Alliance "was formed in 2023 by three advocates with long experience working to enact gas leaf blower restrictions in their communities. They realized dozens of others across the country were facing the same struggles independently of each other, and that coming together as a coalition of advocacy groups would accelerate the movement and give it a stronger and united voice at state and national levels. No more reinventing the wheel.  
  
  Today QCA has more than 50 member groups, listed below.  In addition, a growing number of state, regional, and national organizations have expressed their strong support for the cause (see Supporting Organizations)."

Grants & Funding

North America

USA

• Financial Incentive Programs, by State – rebate programs, tool exchanges, etc.