Abstract
Lead (Pb) remains elevated in road runoff and roadside dust, which has been attributed to legacy lead in surface soils from leaded petrol. However, “lead” tyre weights, an alloy of 95% Pb and 5% Sb, may be a relatively unrecognised diffuse source of Pb and Sb as they are still used in many countries. An unknown number of these weights drop off tyre rims and deposit on the road where they are abraded and dispersed, potentially causing adverse environmental effects. The type, number and weight of tyre weights lost from motor vehicles were characterised for a range of roading infrastructures and motor vehicle intensities in a 38 month long study of a 6.9 km length of road in Hamilton City, New Zealand. Overall, 1070 tyre weights with a combined mass of 18.6 kg were collected. About 96.4% of the collected weights were made of “lead”, which is an alloy of 95% Pb and 5% Sb, indicating tyre weights can be a major source of Pb and Sb in urban areas. The tyre weight distribution on roads used in this study depended mainly on traffic density and the prevalence of “start stop” patterns in traffic flow influenced by roundabouts and intersections. “Lead” tyre weights should be phased out and replaced with environmentally benign materials.
Highlights
Lead is a persistent environmental toxin that is regarded as a developmental neurotoxicant threat to human health and harmful to the wider environment [1,2]
We contend that a considerable proportion of the Pb currently in roadside dust is from tyre weights and that this proportion will increase as Pb from other sources are phased out
We suggest that Pb-Sb alloy tyre weights add Sb to roadside dusts
Summary
Lead is a persistent environmental toxin that is regarded as a developmental neurotoxicant threat to human health and harmful to the wider environment [1,2]. It is still used in tyre weights in many countries of the world as Pb is dense, soft, relatively inexpensive and does not rust. It has been banned in European Union countries since 2005 and some States in the USA. Tyre weights remain a diffuse contamination source of lead in urban environments in many countries of the world. Bleiwas [4] suggested Sb could be used as a useful indicator in distinguishing this source of lead from other possible sources
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