Ken Spaeth, MD, MPH

 












Ken Spaeth, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor
Hofstra School of Health Sciences

April 18, 2017

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing in support of proposals to restrict gasoline leaf blowers (GLBs).  As an internist and occupational medicine physician who is trained in public health, I recognize that gasoline-powered lawn equipment - particularly the leaf blower - is extremely harmful to health and to the environment. Many institutions and municipalities in New York and elsewhere have implemented restrictions on gasoline leaf blowers without any serious economic or other consequences. Some of the organizations which have already come out in support of such regulations include the Medical Society of the State of NY, the Long Island Chapter of the American Lung Assoc., American Cancer Society, Asthma Coalition, Breast Cancer Coalition, Citizen’s Campaign for the Environment, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Grass Roots Environmental, and others. 

Gasoline-powered leaf blowers (GLBs) pose multiple health and environmental hazards.  The use of leaf blowers for cleanup and routine landscape maintenance is exposing us all unnecessarily to pollutants and noise.  Gas leaf blowers are primarily 2-stroke engines which have no emissions controls, are inefficient at burning of fuel, and are highly polluting.   Americans spill 17 million gallons of gasoline each year filling lawn equipment. That’s more than the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.  Gas lawn equipment is poised soon to surpass cars as the worst air polluters in California, according to recent research.

There is good medical evidence implicating the emissions spewed forth and particulates blown up by the leaf blowers in increased risks of early death, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, some cancers, and other serious health conditions.  Children, seniors, those with chronic illness, and landscape workers are at greatest risk.

When compared to an average large car, one hour of GLB use emits 498 times as much hydrocarbons, 49 times as much particulate matter and 26 times as much carbon monoxide.

The major health and environmental hazards of gas leaf blowers are:
·       Exhaust pollution
·       Fine particulate pollution
·       Noise pollution
·       Environmental degradation, including water pollution and small animal habitat destruction  

*     Airborne pollutants released or churned up the GLBs include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - Benzene, 1,3 butadiene,  acetaldehyde,  and formaldehyde. These are HAPS: Hazardous Air Pollutants (defined by the US EPA as pollutants that cause or may cause cancer or other serious health effects.)   Also released are nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, which are considered “Criteria Pollutants” (harmful to public health and the environment). Even low level exposures have been associated with respiratory and central nervous system effects. GLB pollutants such as hydrocarbon vapors, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide react in the presence of heat and sunlight to form ground-level ozone, the major component of smog, and a known respiratory irritant and risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  Also released is carbon dioxide which is a potent Greenhouse Gas.

*     Fine particulate matter (under 2.5 microns, which easily get into the lungs and even in to the blood stream) has been linked to all-cause premature death, heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure, and lung disease – including asthma attacks - and can increase the severity of chronic lung disease in the elderly.  Two-stroke engines account for the vast majority of fine particulate pollution in landscape maintenance. This particulate matter remains suspended in the air for hours or even days and is too small to be visible. 

*     Noise from leaf blowers are orders of magnitude – since decibels are on a logarithmic scale - beyond those deemed safe by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  Noise is more than just an annoyance; exposure to constant or high levels of noise can cause countless adverse health effects. These include stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity.  Studies have shown that excess noise in and around hospitals interferes with healing.  Other research demonstrates that children in classrooms abutting noisy outside areas do worse on standardized tests than similar children in classrooms in quieter areas. The EPA states that “noise degrades quality of life by impairing communication and social interaction; reducing the accuracy of work, particularly complex tasks; and creating stressful levels of frustration and aggravation that last even when the noise has ceased.”

*     Environmental degradation
o   The high velocity air jets of leaf blowers can destroy nests and small animal habitats; desiccate pollen, sap, and other natural plant substances; and injure or destroy birds, small mammals, and beneficial insects.
o   Leaf blowers damage plants, remove beneficial topsoil and mulch, desiccate and compact soil, diminish plant health and contribute to the spread of invasives. This increases the dependence on use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.
o   Landscape workers or homeowners frequently blow debris into roads, where it can enter storm drains and end up polluting our waters.

Alternatives and Common Concerns
Alternatives include commercial grade lithium ion battery or other electrical equipment, or rakes and brooms.  Landscaping businesses have been shown not to suffer financially if they trade gas equipment for these other choices.  Newer commercial grade lithium-ion battery blowers contain less toxic metals than other types of batteries which may contain lead or cadmium, they are generally categorized as non-hazardous waste and can be recycled. Li-ion battery elements are considered safe for incinerators and landfills.

For all these public health reasons, I concur with all the health and environmental organizations which support restrictions or bans on the use of gasoline leaf blowers, and believe it is a win-win effort for all. 
Sincerely,
Ken Spaeth, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor

Hofstra School of Health Sciences