The Airborne Dangers of Gas-Powered Leaf-Blowers

The average homeowner, who is conscientious about the upkeep of their yard, considers the beautiful falling leaves of autumn as the equivalent of having a yard full of debris - and debris must be removed if the yard is to be kept in pristine condition. Most of us still deal with the debris of nature in the old-school fashion - with old-fashioned rakes and trash bags. But some keepers of the lawn now use the new-fangled technology that is known as the 'gas-powered leaf-blower'. The concept of a leaf blower seems like a good idea. It is easier on the back than hours and hours of raking, and if the leaves are simply blown away, then there aren't about a bazillion bags of leaves to be hauled to wherever you happen to haul your leaves.

As it happens, many areas of the country now have bans on gas-powered leaf-blowers. Part of the problem with these time-saving devises is the noise that they create. The noise pollution would not be so bad, of course, if people were the least bit considerate about when they use the leaf blowers. There is always some clown who thinks that right around dusk is a good time to make as much noise as possible in their yards, no matter who they are bothering.

Then, of course, there are the inconsiderate people who think that it is a good idea to blow their leaf debris into their neighbor's yard . Needless to say, this particular practice is apt to make people angry and frustrated - and to have them on the phone complaining to anyone who is legally able to put a stop to this rude practice.

Gas-powered leaf-blowers also generate an incredible amount of air pollution for their size, which is not good, but it is not the worst air polluting problem with the blowers. The worst air pollution problems with the gas-powered leaf-blowers is that they create airborne stuff that would normally remain on the ground, where it would not be inhaled by innocent passers-by. Leaf blowers can make dust from the lead paint of older houses airborne, along with asbestos dust from car brake lonings, herbicide residue, mold, pollen, and even tiny particles of dog feces. Yuck.