I’m hoping our community can come together and support Quiet Clean Philly, a group of dedicated volunteers who are trying to ban gas-powered leaf blowers in Philadelphia, just as hundreds of other U.S. cities have done.

Originally, leaf blowers were designed as chemical sprayers, so they are inefficient at just moving leaves around. It should be a community concern as they impact the health of everyone. Their low-frequency sound can travel long distances and permanently damage hearing, even when 50 feet away. They also discharge carbon monoxide and formaldehyde from unburned fuel.

The worst damage they incur is invisible. They disperse particulate matter, microscopic particles about 50% smaller than a human hair. No wonder we aren’t aware of their potential injury. The British Medical Journal found a relationship between dementia and exposure to particulate matter, aside from other health risks like heart attacks, asthma, and diabetes. 

Unlike construction and traffic, which can also add to particulate air pollution, gas-powered leaf blowers are something we can control. Let’s eliminate them in our community.

Sandra Folzer 

Chestnut Hill