BALTIMORE — Lawn mowers and leaf blowers may help to keep our yards looking neatly manicured, but a new study found that they may be doing more harm than good for the environment.
A study by the environmental watch dog group Maryland PIRG found that gas-powered lawn equipment may put out as much pollution as cars.
Maryland PIRG used data from the Environmental Protection Agency to create the "Lawn Care Goes Electric: Why It's Time To Switch to a New Generation of Clean, Quiet Electric Lawn Equipment" report.
The analysis found that equipment in Maryland emitted an estimated 597 tons of harmful fine particulate air pollution in 2020. That's essentially the same amount of pollution as 6.4 million gas-powered cars over the span of a year.
After using some of the gas-powered lawn gear for just an hour, the report found that it produced the equivalent pollution of a 100-mile car ride.
Experts are concerned about what's going in the air when gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers are powered up. Pollution such as PM 2.5, or particulate matter, nitrogen oxide known as NOx and volatile organic compounds or VOCs make their way in the air. Air toxins such as benzene and formaldehyde are also emitted, according to Maryland PIRG.
The pollutants come with a myriad of health risks including asthma, reproductive harm, premature death and cancer.
Gas-powered lawn equipment can release carbon dioxide which can lead to more global warming.
Experts recommend cutting the cord with gas-powered lawn equipment, in exchange for electric tools that are cleaner and make less noise.