Gardener’s Health Warning

Gardeners with petrol-driven lawnmowers could be exposing themselves to alarming amounts of cancer-causing chemicals. A petrol lawn mower takes only one hour to generate the same level of carcinogens as a car engine on a 100-mile journey, according to many new studies.  [Ed. "A Gardener's Health Warning should be issued."]

Analytical chemist Dr Roger Westerholm, who did the research, said owners should consider fitting catalytic converters to their mowers to reduce the danger. The cost of manufacturing all petrol lawn mowers would rise dramatically, not to mention soaring petrol prices making petrol lawn mowers  an unpopular choice for consumers when shopping on-line for a new lawn mower.

Dr Westerholm, who is based at Stockholm University in Sweden, said the carcinogens were contained in the four milligrams of poly-cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted in one hour’s mowing.

He discovered 26 different PAHs in mower exhaust fumes, including 100 micrograms of benzopyrenes, which is widely implicated as a carcinogen in cigarette smoke.

The mowers also produced more than one pound of carbon monoxide and several grams each of methane, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and smoke particles.

Dr Westerholm said this was of particular concern because mowerusers would be in close proximity to the exhaust fumes as they cut the grass.

‘People are breathing these fumes in,’ he added. Lawnmowers are important sources of PAHs that have not been investigated before.

‘Some of these chemicals have been found to be carcinogenic in animals, and I would expect them to be carcinogenic in humans as well.’

Dr Westerholm said the four-stroke, unleaded petrol engine he tested was ‘typical’ of most modern lawnmowers.

‘It’s not good for your health,’ he warned. ‘I would solve the problem by using an electric lawnmower or by fitting a catalytic converter to petrol engines.’

Dr Westerholm, whose findings appear in the magazine New Scientist, said other petrol-powered garden tools, such as leaf blowers and chainsaws, should also be fitted with converters.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-51841/Why-mowing-lawn-bad-you.html#ixzz1ntG5Rlz0  

 

Lawn Mower Human Health Fact’s

You’re (Petrol Lawnmower) and Co2 Emissions Health Alert

 

EPA has finalized a new emission control program to reduce hydrocarbon emissions from small spark-ignition engines by about 35 percent. The new exhaust emissions standards will take effect in 2011 or 2012, depending on the size of the engine.

The final rule also includes new standards to reduce evaporative emissions from these fuel systems. These standards will reduce the harmful health effects of ozone and carbon monoxide from these engines.

This page provides consumer information, regulations, guidance, and compliance fee and certification data for ten categories of nonroad spark-ignition engines, ranging from lawnmowers and garden equipment through airport service equipment. For the homeowner, there is information about maintaining a lawn, while minimizing air pollution from spark-ignition engines. For additional information about our emission standards, see our Fact Sheet: Final Emission Standards for New Nonroad Spark-ignition Engines, Equipment, and Vessels | PDF Version (5 pp, 208K, EPA420-F-08-013).

 

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AutoLawnMow offers free genuine friendly  advise to home-owners seeking to buy their first automatic lawn mower. AutoLawnMow offers an endless source of information including downloadable  brochures etc direct from the AutoLawnMow website. For more information on eco friendly automatic lawn mowers visit AutoLawnMow today and protect your health and lawn by having your own automatic Eco friendly lawn mower.

Lawn Mowers UK

“Consumer Health and Emissions Alert 2012″  

 

Dr Westerholm, an analytical chemist whose work is detailed in the New Scientist,found in a study that lawnmowers emit polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). He told BBC News Online: “People who use these mowers will be exposed to this kind of chemicals.”

 

“Stay healthy while mowing your lawns this summer”

 

“I would solve the health and Co2 lawn mower emission problem by switching over to an electric mower such as a automatic robotic lawn mower or by fitting a catalytic converter to petrol lawn engine mowers”

USA Campus Reduces Lawn Mowing for 2012

 

 

Dr Westerholm publishes his findings and reveals 

Alarming new Health risk’s around petrol lawn Mowing.

 

Dr. Westerholm graduated from University of North Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. This school is ranked #29 out of 144 in primary care quality by US News & World Report
Learn more about Dr. Westerholm’s medical training.Read more: http://www.vitals.com/doctors/Dr_Erin_Westerholm.html#ixzz1ryJp8IpB

 

 

Visit AutoLawnMow and learn more about our Robot Lawn Mowers.  If you have any thoughts regarding my suggestion of the publication of a Gardener’s Health Warning, please comment below.