The number of air pollutants emitted by gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers may exceed the air pollutant emissions of large automobiles. A leaf blower emits nearly 300 times that of a pickup truck–a two-stroke gasoline-powered leaf blower spewed out more pollution than a 6,200-pound Ford Raptor truck. Leaf blowers disgorge massive amounts of carbon monoxide, smog-forming nitrous oxides (an extraordinarily potent heat-trapping gas), and carcinogenic hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. That dust can contain pollen, mold, animal feces, heavy metals and chemicals from herbicides and pesticides. This adds up to increased risk of lung cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease, premature birth and other life-threatening conditions. Powerful electric and battery-operated leaf blowers exist, but the best thing to do with fallen leaves is to mulch them with a lawn mower or let them lie. Fortunately some States are either banning or planning to ban gas-powered leaf blowers.
www.nytimes.com/2021/10/25/opinion/leaf-blowers-california-emissions.html
sustainability.wustl.edu/rethinking-lawn-equipment-2/
Along with significiant air and noise pollution, leaf blowers have a third negative impact. The force of the air hitting the ground affects the soil and its mirco-organisms. Here’s a very good explanation from https://bedfordny.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Gas-powered-Leaf-Blowers-Time-to-rethink-1.pdf:
DESTRUCTION OF GROWING CONDITIONS FOR PLANTS AND WILDLIFE
Commercial grade leaf blowers blow a concentrated stream of air onto plants at up to 200 mph –
stronger than a hurricane!
• destroy new plant growth and developing flowers
• blow topsoil away; topsoil is what plants need to flourish and grow
• cause soil compaction, which makes growing conditions very hard
• cause dehydration, effectively burning tender leaves
• suspend photosynthesis and other natural plant functions, slowing plant growth.
• spread disease spores, which may have been lying dormant in the soil or on fallen debris,
and are then blown back onto plants.
• blow seeds all over, spreading weeds.
• spread insect eggs – if they survive. Most insects in a garden are beneficial but pests are
also spread through leaf blower use.
• kill beneficial insects like earthworms and pollinators
• destroy bird nests
• drive birds and other wildlife away
• blow pollen into the air exacerbating allergy issues