‘Highly polluting’: Why lawn care can be hazardous to health, environment

Gas-powered garden equipment spews more emissions than modern vehicles, experts say, urging the switch to more sustainable options.

Canadians should rethink the way they upkeep their lawns and move towards more eco-friendly options, experts say.

With fall in full swing across Canada and winter not far away, many will be dusting off their leaf and snow blowers.

While these gadgets may help polish off the yard’s look in record time, gasoline-powered garden equipment — including lawn mowers and hedge trimmers — can be hazardous to the environment and our health, polluting the air we breathe.

“People may be surprised to think that a leaf blower actually produces a lot more pollution than a pick-up truck,” said Michael Brauer, a professor in the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia.

According to some estimates, using a leaf blower is equivalent to 100 cars on the road, he said.

This is because gas-powered garden equipment tend not to have a well-developed emission treatment system that most modern vehicles do, said Greg Evans, a professor in the department of chemical engineering and applied chemistry at the University of Toronto.

“These are quite primitive engines, not very different than they were 30, 40, 50 years ago, and they’re really, highly polluting,” added Brauer.

Lawn machines that use a two-stroke engine, where the oil and gas is mixed, spew a combination of gases including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides.