] Emissions from
gasoline-powered grounds-keeping equipment in general are a source of
air pollution and more immediately,
noise pollution. In the United States,
US emission standards prescribe maximum emissions from small engines. The two-stroke engines used in most leaf blowers operate by mixing gasoline with oil, and a third of this mixture is not burned, but is emitted as an
aerosol exhaust. These pollutants have been linked to
cancer,
heart disease, and
asthma. A 2011 study found that the amount of
NMHC pollutants emitted by a leaf blower operated for 30 minutes is comparable to the amount emitted by a
Ford F-150 pickup truck driving from
Texas to
Alaska. In addition to the adverse health effects of
carbon monoxide,
nitrogen oxides,
hydrocarbons, and
particulates generated in the
exhaust gas of the gasoline-powered engines, leaf blowers pose problems related to the dust raised by the powerful flow of air. Dust clouds caused by leaf blowers contain potentially harmful substances such as pesticide residues and
pathogens. Noise pollution is also a concern with leaf blowers, as they can emit
noise levels above those required to cause
hearing loss to both the operator and those nearby. A recent study assessed the occupational noise exposure among groundskeepers at several North Carolina public universities and found noise levels from leaf blowers averaging 89 decibels (A-weighted) and maximum sound pressure levels reaching 106 dB(A), both far exceeding the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (
NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit of 85 dB(A) Leaves are ecologically beneficial, providing habitat for insects and microorganisms and nutrients for the soil. Leaving some leaves rather than removing them all can support biodiversity.
Bans Soon after the leaf blower was introduced into the
U.S., its use was banned in two
California cities,
Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1975 and
Beverly Hills in 1978, as a noise nuisance. There are currently twenty California cities that have banned leaf blowers, sometimes only within residential neighborhoods and usually targeting gasoline-powered equipment. Another 80 cities have ordinances on the books restricting either usage or noise level or both. Washington, DC, passed a ban on gas-power leaf blowers in 2018. A law banning the sale of gas-powered lawn equipment in California will take effect in 2024.
Cambridge, Massachusetts banned them in 2025.
Portland, Oregon will ban gas-powered leaf blowers in 2028, with a phase-out period starting 2026. As of 2025, according to the
CoPIRG Foundation, a Colorado-based consumer watchdog, over 160 US-cities ban petrol-powered leaf blowers. ==See also==