HEALTH IMPLICATIONS . . .

From the California Enviromental Protection Agency -Air Resources Board:
Health and Environmental Impacts of Leaf Blowers / February 2000 - Available here as a pdf download (79 pages):

Table 1. Major Findings of the Orange County Grand Jury and City of Palo Alto

Orange County Grand Jury Report (1999)

City of Palo Alto City Manager's Report (1999a)

(1)  Toxic exhaust fumes and emissions are created by gas-powered leaf blowers.

 (1)  Gasoline-powered leaf blowers produce fuel emissions that add to air pollution.

(2)  The high-velocity air jets used in blowing leaves whip up dust and pollutants. The particulate matter (PM) swept into the air by blowing leaves is composed of dust, fecal matter, pesticides, fungi, chemicals, fertilizers, spores, and street dirt which consists of lead and organic and elemental carbon.

(2)  Leaf blowers (gasoline and electric) blow pollutants including dust, animal droppings, and pesticides into the air adding to pollutant problems.

(3)  Blower engines generate high noise levels. Gasoline-powered leaf blower noise is a danger to the health of the blower operator
and an annoyance to the non-consenting citizens in the area of usage.

 (3)  Leaf blowers (gasoline and electric) do produce noise levels that are offensive and bothersome to some individuals.
NOTE: The findings in these two reports about exhaust emissions and noise are substantiated in the scientific literature. The report's findings regarding dust emissions, however, were not documented or based on scientific analysis of actual emissions, but were based on common sense knowledge. The City of Palo Alto continued to examine the issue, at the behest of council members, and reported revised recommendations for the use of leaf blowers in Palo Alto in September (City of Palo Alto 1999b) and January 2000 (City of Palo Alto 2000). The City of Palo Alto subsequently voted to ban the use of fuel-powered leaf blowers throughout the city as of July 1, 2001 (Zinko 2000).

Table 7. Leaf Blower Operator Noise Exposures and Duration of Use (Hagar 1999)

Average SPL, dBA

Minimum SPL, dBA

Maximum SPL, dBA

Duration of Leaf Blower use (hr)

99.5

 96.4

 101.3

 0.75

 92.0

 N/R

 N/R

 1.0

 101.2

 N/R

 101.9

 2.3

 101.3

 98.3

 105.7

 7.6

 95.9

 92.0

 97.0

 0.25

 88.6

 85.0

 90.4

 0.5

N/R = not reported

Table 9. Commercial Leaf Blower Emissions Compared to Light Duty Vehicle Car Emissions
3 hp average, 50% load factor, 1999 emissions data

 

 

Leaf Blower
 Exhaust Emissions: generated/hr

New light duty vehicle*:
Exhaust Emissions: generated/hr

Older light duty vehicle** Exhaust Emissions: generated/hr

Hydrocarbons

 199.26

0.39

201.9

Carbon Monoxide

 423.53

 15.97

 1310

Particulate Matter

 6.43

 0.13

 0.78

Fugitive Dust

 48.6-1031

 N/A

 N/A

*New light duty vehicle represents vehicles one year old, 1999 or 2000 model year, driven for one hour at 30 mph.
**Older light duty vehicle represents vehicles 1975 model year and older, pre-catalytic vehicle, driven for one hour at 30 mph.