Comment by jwess | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jwess | Hacker News Reader

Adults and children in the US today today are still being poisoned by leaded fuel. Aviation fuel, or "Avgas" is still leaded, and is a major problem around municipal airports. Leaded aviation fuel is used by planes which use internal combustion engines instead of cleaner, more powerful, and more expensive jet engines. Most of these small planes are for personal use.

In 2011, 483 tons of lead were emitted so a small group of prosperous people can enjoy private air travel. EPA data from the same year shows airports as the top source of lead emissions in 42 states [0].

I think the costs of lead abatement should be included in the price of AvGas, or its use should be discontinued entirely.

[0] U.S. EPA. Calculating Piston-Engine Aircraft Airport Inventories for Lead for the 2011 National Emissions Inventory. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA-420-B-13-040, 2013. Page 5

483 tons seems like a very small amount of pollution when you consider that it is spread over the entire country (even albeit concentrated near airports).

16 million Americans live close to those airports, and 3 million kids go to schools near those airports.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/lead-in-aviation-...

I live within a mile of one of the busier regional airports in the US.

As an aviation buff, I like seeing the planes go by, but I hate thinking about what I breathe when they are gone.

My next move will definitely factor in locality to a regional airport.

The problem with lead is that it tends to bio-accumulate in various types of body tissue, making blood lead levels hard to bring down. Chronic exposure builds up over time. I also disagree that 483 tons is "a very small amount of pollution". Lead cannot be compared with more typical pollutants like CO2. A better comparison might be mercury, which measured 52 tons emitted in 2011. I still won't say 52 tons is small, but it's a lot better than 483!

I want to reiterate that small propeller planes that seat 2-6 people make up virtually the entire market for leaded aviation fuel. Larger propeller planes typically have turboprop engines which burn kerosene like most jet/commercial aircraft. There is a big cost upon society caused by a small number of people, for something that is completely unnecessary (private air travel).

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