The Gas Powered Leaf Blower Is the Most Polluting Yard Tool Ever Invented
It’s cousins aren’t that great either.
You like your yardman. He’s a nice guy, but you hate his gas powered yard tools; particularly the leaf blower. Inevitably, you’re trying to take a nap while he is making Indy 500 noises. If your house has any air leaks it fills with the noxious fumes from the exhaust. If you find that irritating, you are not alone.
In 2011, a 50cc two-stroke leaf blower and a Ford F-150 Raptor with a 6.2 liter 411 horsepower engine were each run for 30 minutes, and the resultant pollutants were measured. The hydrocarbon emissions from the leaf blower were the equivalent of driving the Ford pickup 3,887 miles. For the same amount of pollution you can go from Dallas to Anchorage with your friends or blow some paper-thin organic material around your yard.
Some of the components of two stroke engine emissions are benzene, 1,3-butadiene, acetaldehyde, and formaldehyde — known carcinogens. More troubling is the ultrafine particles measuring 0.01 microns or less. These can get into the deepest recesses of the lungs. An operator of such equipment may as well be standing by a busy highway sucking down swirling brake dust.
For the user of a leaf blower the noise can get up to 100 decibels (ear protection is recommended past 85…
