Ban leaf Ban leaf blowers: They screech; they pollute; they've got to go
Pittsburgh Post Gazette, May 12, 2010
By Marcia Barr and Janet Aronson

The loud, screaming leaf blower ... it's not just for leaves anymore.

Leaf blowers are now used to blow dirt and debris from one place to another, from driveways to sidewalks, from sidewalks to streets until the wind blows them back again. What's wrong with this picture?

Because they operate at such high velocities, leaf blowers send up swirling clouds of airborne mold, gas fumes and other allergens, including dried fertilizer, lawn herbicides and pesticides, dirt, dust, bugs, leaf parts and animal fecal matter. We are all inhaling these particles.

They're noisy, too. A normal decibel level, considered acceptable in residential areas, is about 60 decibels. Manufacturer-reported noise levels from leaf blowers range from 62 to 75 decibels at a distance of 50 feet. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, this level of noise degrades quality of life. It interferes with communication and sleep, and it increases stress, which can linger hours after exposure and compromise performance.

The American Lung Association reports that leaf blowers in the San Francisco Bay area alone create 1.4 tons of smog-forming compounds and 15 tons of carbon monoxide in one day. A gasoline-powered leaf blower generates as much tailpipe emissions in one hour as an automobile does over 350 miles.

Exhaust emissions from gasoline-powered leaf blowers contain the following pollutants: hydrocarbons from both burned and unburned fuel, which combine with other gases in the atmosphere to form ozone; carbon monoxide; fine particulate matter; benzene, 1,3-butadiene, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde.

Emissions from all small-engine yard machines, including lawn mowers, weed trimmers and leaf blowers, contribute 5 percent of all air pollution annually. This percentage, while high compared to on-road mobile sources on a per engine basis, is a small part of the overall emission inventory. Nevertheless, any quantity of an easily avoided pollutant is too much.

Who is at risk? Do you have allergies? Are you a senior citizen? Do you have asthma or other respiratory problems, sore throats or headaches? Is your health compromised in any way? Do you or your child care provider take your infants or small children outside in strollers or wagons? Do you use a leaf blower? We are all at risk.

What's the point? Don't we have enough noise and pollution in our environment just standing on a corner, waiting for the bus or listening to the necessary sounds of ambulances, fire trucks and police cars? How badly do we need pristine driveways and sidewalks?

Many of us survived the era of black smoke and pollutants from steel mills and coke ovens in Pittsburgh. It's been a long time since the infamous Pittsburgh pollution blackened buildings and clothing. During the 20th century, we made vast air quality improvements. But clearly we still have a lot of work to do.

In 2009, the American Lung Association rated air in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area second worst in the nation for year-round particle pollution behind only Los Angeles. Leaf blowers in a congested city like Pittsburgh are adding to this pollution.

Let's get back to brooms and rakes. If you don't want to use a rake, try a leaf sweeper. It swoops up leaves into a handy collection bag as you roll it over your lawn or driveway.

Pick up a pen and write to government officials, too. Approximately 400 cities and towns have banned or controlled blowers nationwide.

Let's get wise and ban the use of leaf blowers in our wonderful city. We all deserve the right to breathe clean air, and we will live longer and healthier lives if we limit our exposure to pollution and environmental toxins.

Marcia Barr (marcia.barr@gmail.com) is an environmental engineer who has worked in health care and industry for 12 years and Janet Aronson (jaronson@wisc.edu) is an activist who promotes healthy environmental practices in neighborhoods. They both live in Oakland