I don't get gas-powered leaf-blowers. They are so loud, so polluting, so wasteful, yet so meaningless at the same time. Back in college, I had to wear a mask e

I don't get gas-powered leaf-blowers. They are so loud, so polluting, so wasteful, yet so meaningless at the same time. Back in college, I had to wear a mask every day, just because how many leaf-blower-induced dust clouds I had to walk through. With the loudness and strong vibration, wouldn't it have significant impact on the health of the operator? Is it actually more efficient than a manual sweeper/raker?