HAZARDS AND DISTRIBUTION OF LEAD WHEEL WEIGHTS FROM SMALL TOWNS TO URBAN CENTERS AND PLANS FOR REMOVAL AND RECYCLE OF THIS ENVIRONMENTAL TOXIN

Lead wheel weights have been used in US vehicles since the 1930s. The USGS estimates in 2003 that each year 2,000 metric tons of lead in wheel weights was lost on US highways. The fate of these lost lead wheel weights in urban areas is a potential continuous source of lead contamination to urban and small towns. Root (2000) determined for a section of a six lane urban road in Albuquerque, New Mexico the amount of metallic lead found on the street, the rates of lead deposition and abrasion. Additionally he suggests that abrasion of lead wheel weights contributes to the lead burden of urban populations. One goal of this research is to refine Root’s methods of retrieval of lead wheel weights from busy roads in smaller communities. Lead wheel weights were collected from the streets of three west Georgia towns (Whitesburg, Cedartown, and Carrollton with 2009 populations of 597, 10,185, and 23,421, respectively). From January to August 2010 lead wheel weights were collected 38 times from sections of streets ranging from ½ to 4 miles. Lead wheel weights were collected at least twice from each street. Each weight was weighed individually and its condition was noted. There were 556 Pb wheel weights collected with a total weight of 13.6kg, the maximum weight was 277g with a length of 16.5 cm and a minimum of 0.5g (small flattened flake of lead). Of the weights collected 130 were broken fragments without steel clamps that were often abraded and flattened.

The cleanup of lead wheel weights is complicated because the estimated 250 million motor vehicles on US roads are continuously hitting potholes, curbs and other cars and flinging off the wheel weights. Stop and go traffic is a cause of lead wheel weight loss. In small towns like the ones in this study local volunteers can be trained to identify lead wheel weights and their fragments. The proposal is for Earth Day 2011 to invite every high school, college, company, environmental and civic group, towns and cities, and individuals to take part in the first nationwide lead wheel weight cleanup. Each local group will characterize (whole versus fragments, new versus old) and recycle the collected lead weights. Traffic volume, number of traffic lights and stop signs, and businesses will determine how often the local volunteers will need to collect lead wheel weights to lower street lead levels below the steady state.