Gas-powered engines in leaf blowers are the most polluting and dirtiest kind of machinery still in legal use in the US AND a significant health threat to the operators, mostly minority and disadvantaged folks. Laborers are exposed to unusually high levels of carcinogens, including benzene, formaldehyde, PAHs and particulates; they are also in danger of hearing loss due to the extremely high noise level. According to the California Air Resources Board (CARB), the two-stroke leaf blowers and similar equipment in the state produce more ozone pollution than all of California’s tens of millions of cars, combined. In sum, this industry emits high levels of greenhouse gases, is an environmental justice health issue and can cause hearing loss to both operators and nearby households. The solution is fairly easy: battery powered equipment (and/or rakes!) can do the job without the adverse health effects and the toxic and greenhouse gas emissions. Read more here.
