Mow Down Pollution Program

Ozone high up in the atmosphere protects us from harmful UV radiation. Ozone found at the ground level, however, is very harmful to our health and the environment. Ground-level ozone forms when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) mix with heat from the sun, and is most frequent on especially hot, summer days. While it is an invisible and odorless pollutant, ground level ozone can have serious impacts on your health, causing irritations to the lungs and respiratory system. Children, older adults, and people with asthma are at increased risk for acute and long-term ozone exposure.

Emissions from lawn and garden equipment including lawn mowers, leaf blowers, string trimmers, and chainsaws, are significant, mainly because this smaller equipment uses two-stroke engines. These two-stroke engines lack the emission controls that we typically see in cars, causing the equipment to combine gasoline and oil that either burns in the engine or escapes in the exhaust as aerosol droplets in the exhaust. In addition to ozone-forming pollutants, gas-powered equipment also releases harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide particulate matter.
 
Research shows that operating a lawn mower for one hour emits as much ozone-forming emissions as driving a light-duty passenger car about 300 miles. Even worse, operating a leaf blower for one hour is equivalent to driving 1,110 miles -- that's the equivalent of driving from Denver to Los Angeles!