 During the past several years, the U.S. has made positive inroads in cleaning the air–but we still have a long way to go. Many areas of the country still have serious air pollution problems most notably, in large urban areas. What many people don’t realize is that emissions standards are not limited to cars and trucks. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also studying other sources of air pollution including recreational vehicles, farm and construction equipment, boats, locomotives, and lawn and garden power equipment. As a result, the EPA is developing emission standards for virtually all types of equipment that releases emissions into the air.
Fact: The 20 million small engines sold in the U.S. each year contribute about one-tenth of the total U.S. mobile source hydrocarbons emissions. Small engines include lawn mowers and lawn and garden power equipment.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency
Here are some quick tips on small engines:
- A typical lawn mower emits as much pollution in one hour’s work as a car emits during a 100-mile journey. The small engines found in most lawn-care machines make a negative impact on the air we breathe. Filling those tanks with ethanol-enriched fuel can drastically cut the amount of pollutants released into the air.
Source: Environmental Science & Technology, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, June, 2001
- All small engines can efficiently burn E10, a mixture of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline found at fuel stations across the country. Filling the tanks of small engines with E10 reduces the amount of pollutants released into the air by 12-19 percent compared with conventional gasoline. Add this to the emission reductions when using ethanol-enriched fuel in your vehicles and we're starting to make a big impact on the reduction of harmful tailpipe emissions.
Source: Argonne Labs
- There are currently no commercially available lawn mowers or small engines capable of running efficiently on E85 (85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline). The good news–companies are researching the opportunities for
E85-compatible lawn mowers and other small engines. Once these products come to market, emissions reductions will more than double.
Source: Ethanol Promotion and Information Council
- At the start of lawn care season, all small engines should be drained of old fuel and refilled with fresh E10. Also, be sure to consult your owner's manual for recommendations on how much oil to add to the E10 when working with two-cycle engines.
Source: Ethanol Promotion and Information Council
- Gas-powered trimmers, chain saws, leaf blowers, rototillers, snowmobiles, motorcycles, mopeds, boats, and jet skis can all run efficiently on E10. Concerned about the environment? You can do your part to reduce harmful emissions by using ethanol-enriched fuel in all of you equipment fueled by gasoline.
Source: Ethanol Promotion and Information Council
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