2. GAS-POWERED LEAF BLOWERS ARE PRODIGIOUS POLLUTERS
Many GLBs use antiquated 2-stroke engines. Invented in the late 19th century, the 2-stroke engine is powered by gasoline plus oil for lubrication. Today’s machines have virtually no emissions controls, spewing known carcinogens. The Edmunds car research firm, working with AAA, found that a consumer-grade gas leaf blower emits 23 times the carbon monoxide and 300 times more hydrocarbons than a 6,200-pound Ford F-150 pickup truck. Similarly, the California Air Resources Board reported that operating a commercial 2-stroke leaf blower for one hour emits more pollution than driving a 2016 Toyota Camry for 1,100 miles. In some parts of the country, lawn and garden equipment like gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers now rival automobiles as the chief source of smog-forming ozone pollution.
GLBs’ powerful airspeeds (150 mph to 280 mph) blow an estimated 5 pounds of fine particulates per blower per hour from the ground into the air. This blower dust that we breathe in includes what is lying on the ground and in the street _ animal feces, fertilizers & pesticides, fungal spores, pollen, mold, heavy metals, etc. Particulates may stay suspended in the air for a week or longer and are easily inhaled. It’s a toxic brew that can penetrate deep into lung tissue, increasing the risk of respiratory problems, lung cancer, asthma and heart disease. Even short-term exposure may harm children, seniors, people with chronic illness, and especially landscape workers.
3. GLBs RAISE CONCERNS OVER ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Commercial landscape crews often consist of low-wage workers from racial and ethnic minority groups. They labor for long hours often over a period of years in close proximity to blowers. Many landscape companies don’t ensure that their workers use protective gear while operating GLBs, leaving them vulnerable to auditory assault and toxic fumes. About 30 percent of the gas-oil mixture in a 2-stroke engine leaf blower goes out unused in the exhaust and becomes aerosol that workers breathe. Among the gasoline components in that exhaust are such carcinogens as benzene, butadiene and formaldehyde. When these chemicals are used in manufacturing, they are regulated by the government and workers must be protected from them. But no one appears to be protecting lawn care workers from toxic exposure. Nor does there appear to be any government effort to protect the hearing of lawn care workers. What will these workers do when down the road they experience hearing loss and even deafness?
Arizona State University’s grounds crews switched from gas-powered to battery-operated blowers that are less noisy and are emission-free in 2020. The university reports that while crews were initially skeptical of the battery-blowers they seem well-satisfied with them now. ASU says the new battery blowers weigh about the same as the gas-powered blowers, but the weight seems more ergonomically distributed and they don’t vibrate like the gas-powered blowers. Also, there is no fuel to leak onto skin, clothing and the ground.
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