A petition to Parliament is available at the link below:
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/560942
MORE POLLUTING THAN CARS
Petrol powered leaf blowers use two-cycle and four-cycle petrol engines which produce hundreds of times more hazardous pollutants and fine particulates than cars. The State of California estimates that small engines such as those in leaf blowers will overtake cars to become the number one source of air pollution by 2020.
EXTREME NOISE
Petrol powered leaf blowers create high intensity, low frequency noise that impacts nearby homes, schools and parks, disturbs wildlife, and consistently violates noise limits. Operating a petrol leaf blower can cause permanent hearing loss in 2 hours and can impact 90 nearby homes. The low frequency noise of petrol blowers travels further than the noise from electric blowers and penetrates through windows more readily. Petrol blowers create much more noise impact than electric blowers.
HEALTH RISKS
Petrol leaf blowers create high levels of formaldehyde, benzine, fine particulate matter and smog forming chemicals which are known to cause dizziness, headaches, asthma attacks, heart and lung disease, cancer and dementia.
Blowers can create clouds of industrial pollutants, pollens, fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, dried animal feces, dust and demolition debris such as lead and asbestos – polluting the air we breathe.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
Re-fueling spills contaminate soil and waterways. Maintenance of petrol powered leaf blowers produces toxic waste like fuel filters and contaminated air filters. Blowers erode, compact and dry out soil and harm plants, microorganisms and pollinators.
In addition to smog-forming emissions and toxic fumes, petrol powered leaf blowers create CO2 emissions that contribute to the climate crisis.
MOST AT RISK
Operators of the equipment are most at risk, but the exhaust and dust is a danger to the general population – especially children, the elderly, people with chronic asthma and people exercising. Petrol blowers are often used in parks and public spaces where many people are exposed to the dangers.
Source: California Air Resources Board