9/6/13
LETTER: Leaf blowers blowing more than leaves - Marblehead, MA - Marblehead Reporter
LETTER: Leaf blowers blowing more than leaves
Marblehead Reporter
Posted Aug 27 , 201 3 @ 1 1 :55 AM
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Marblehead — After rev iewing the MHTV recording of Town Meeting Article 40, “The Fair Use
of Leaf Blowers” in the town of Marblehead, I realized that I nev er answered the question asked
by resident Tricia White. She asked; “What are the specific health risks of leaf blowers?” Here is
my attempt to answer that question and, in addition, describe the damage that may be occurring
to our horticultural and ecosy stems.
Leaf blowers, especially gas-powered and commercial-grade leaf blowers, are a major point
source of air pollution (tox ic and carcinogenic emissions and particulate matter) and high-lev el
noise, known to cause disease.
AIR POLLUT ION
Particulate m atter — The high-v elocity air jets of leaf blowers (1 20-27 0 mph) kick up
copious amounts of particulate matter (dust). Just one hour of leaf blower usage can create
approx imately 2 to 3 pounds of particulate matter!
Particulate matter includes coarse and fine particles and, depending on the surface, may contain
dried animal fecal matter, pollens, mold, fungi, neurotox ic pesticides, herbicides, diesel soot,
brake dust, rubber-tire particles, arsenic, mercury and dangerous carcinogens.
The fine particles (less than 2.5 microns) are particularly hazardous because they can be
inhaled, deposited in the airway s and lodge deep within the lungs where they may accumulate or
be absorbed into the underly ing tissues. The American Heart Association, American Lung
Association and U.S. Env ironmental Protection Agency hav e firmly established the link between
ex posure to particulate matter and increased risk of respiratory diseases (such as asthma),
cardiov ascular diseases (such as heart attack), infection, mortality and hospitalizations.
Children, seniors and people with preex isting conditions are most v ulnerable.
Gas em issions — Gas-powered leaf blowers also generate tox ic emissions (e.g. carbon
monox ide, nitrogen ox ide, hy drocarbons, etc.), some of which accelerate the formation of
ozone, known to increase the risk of respiratory disorders and other diseases. One report has
shown that just one hour of leaf-blower operation pollutes as much as driv ing a car 350 miles! A
more recent v ideo taken at an American Automobile Testing lab tested two leaf blower models
and found that the emissions from 30 minutes of leaf-blower use are equiv alent to those from
driv ing a Ford Raptor truck 3,900 miles!
NOISE POLLUT ION
Gas-powered leaf blowers fav ored by commercial landscape companies each produce 7 0-7 5 decibels when 50 feet away .
The noise lev els produced by these machines are much higher when in close prox imity to people (ov er 1 00 decibels, or
1 0,000-1 00,000 times greater than normal background noise). Noise lev els are also much higher when more than one
machine is used at a time. Ev en ECHO, a leaf-blower manufacturer, instructs that leaf blowers should nev er be used at full
throttle in residential areas and that two should not be used simultaneously !
In addition, the “pure tone” (narrow frequency band) component of leaf-blower noise and the constant throttling up and
down ty pical of leaf-blower use further ex acerbates the annoy ance, irritation and the intolerability of leaf-blower noise felt
by many people. Chronic ex posure to noise at these lev els is related to increased blood pressure and fatal heart attacks, as
well as hearing loss, tinnitus, impaired childhood dev elopment and cognition, sleep disturbance, mental health problems,
reduced work/school productiv ity and quality of life.
The Children’s Env ironmental Health Network, National Institutes of Health, U.S. EPA and World Health Organization hav e
issued statements and positions on the harmful effects of high noise lev els. According to the Massachusetts Department of
Env ironmental Protection’s noise regulation, a source of sound is out of compliance with the community standard if it 1 )
increases the sound lev el by more than 1 0 decibels abov e background noise (for instance, from 45 decibels to 55 decibels)
and/or, 2) produces a pure tone condition. Most leaf blowers v iolate both criteria.
HORT ICULT URAL AND ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE
The noise, pollution and high-v elocity air jets of leaf blowers damage our plants and ecosy stems. Leaf blowers blow hot air
up to 27 0 mph (more than hurricane force) and are held inches away from plants. This can damage leav es, branches,
flowers and seeds.
The high-v elocity air jets also contribute to desiccation of topsoil and mulch, compaction and loss of soil, spread of plant
diseases, and dispersion of inv asiv e seeds and spores. V aluable topsoil and mulch are scoured away from under plants,
around trees and on lawns. Animal nests can be destroy ed. The desiccation and compaction of soil remov es v aluable
nutrients and damages ecosy stems on which insects, small mammals and birds depend.
The health of our families, our children and our env ironment are being adv ersely affected by leaf blowers that are being
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9/6/13
LETTER: Leaf blowers blowing more than leaves - Marblehead, MA - Marblehead Reporter
used ex cessiv ely and inappropriately . People are becoming increasingly concerned. These risks are a cause of concern in
hundreds of communities across the United States. In a recent poll, conducted online at Seaside-CALM.org, 85 percent of
those surv ey ed ex pressed concerns about leaf-blower usage. A collaborativ e between groups in the four seaside towns of
Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem and Nahant has been formed to help address these concerns. Y ou can learn more about the
health risks posed by leaf-blower-related noise and air pollution by v isiting seaside-CALM.org.
Please join us for an open presentation on leaf blowers sponsored by Seaside Calm on Monday , Sept. 1 6, 7 -8 p.m. at Abbot
Public Library .
Thank y ou for taking the time to read my letter. — Rita March, Flint Street
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Jam es J. Kaufm ann Ra n k 9 7
It baffles me that any one who has ev er heard one of these things could think that it is reasonable to inflict
this noise upon a fellow human. Y et people continue the brutality with out asking permission or making an
apology , for hours on end. And it is not, like construction, a temporary job that will be completed in a
month or a y ear. It is a routine operation that must endured infinitely . That is, unless the people take it
upon themselv es to organize for a positiv e change in their ... » m ore
8 day s ago 0 Likes
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Jack Buba Ra n k 2 0
@James J. Kaufmann
So it is not a health issue; y ou just don't like the noise we get it.
OK so talk to y ou neighbors about it. Don't make up a a fake story about health impacts. We
already hav e laws on the books about disturbing the peace.
But I bet y ou don't want to call the cops on y our neighbors, y ou'd rather pass a law based on
phony science than take responsibility and hav e and adult conv ersation.
This is sad - in Marblehead; we'd rather pass a fake law than deal with our ...
8 day s ago 0 Likes
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Jack Buba Ra n k 2 0
Enough already , Y ou lost twice at town meeting and this last time ev en the Selectmen said that if this
passed they wanted the town employ ees ex cluded from the law.
This issue is dead in Marblehead.
May be if y ou just talked to y ou neighbors y ou could work this out without forcing the town to pass a law to
get y our neighbors to be more considerate.
9 day s ago 0 Likes
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LETTER: Leaf blowers blowing more than leaves - Marblehead, MA - Marblehead Reporter
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