Research shows health risks in air pollution caused by leaf blowers, but ... - Palo Alto Online
Epidemiological studies have long recognized the harm these particles including hydrocarbons from gasoline, animal droppings, spores, fungi, pollens, pesticides and herbicides, fertilizers, brake-lining dust and tire residue and heavy metals cause... Exposure to particulate matter is rarely, if ever, cited as the cause of death in a coroner's report when someone dies of a heart attack or stroke or lung disease, a 2012 district study noted. The district has called particulate matter "the air pollutant that poses the greatest health risk to Bay Area residents. The average adult inhales 450 cubic centimeters (roughly one pint) of air per breath, which includes 1 million to 10 million tiny particles with each breath. About 5 pounds of particulate matter per leaf blower per hour are swept into the air and take hours to settle, according to a widely cited leaf-blower pollution report by the Orange County, California grand jury in 1999. An Air District program... Source: www.paloaltoonline.com
