Lead
Lead is one of the metals and organic chemicals included in the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's list of "priority chemicals." EPA's
National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) focuses efforts
on reducing 31 Priority Chemicals found in our nation's products and
wastes by finding solutions that eliminate or substantially reduce the
use of Priority Chemicals in production or on recovering or recycling
these chemicals where they cannot easily be eliminated or reduced at the
source. Lead, mercury, and cadmium and their compounds are known to
occur frequently in hazardous wastes. These metals are also a high
priority in international waste minimization efforts to which the United
States has commitments. The waste minimization part of EPA's web site,
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/chemlist.htm, contains
information on the known hazards of each chemical.
Lead Tire Weights
One opportunity for reducing lead in the environment is to purchase
alternatives to the lead tire weights used to balance tires. The
following information is drawn from the lead tire weight section of
EPA's waste minimization web site. For additional information, visit
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/minimize/leadtire.htm.
Lead tire weights are clipped to the wheel rims of every automobile in
the United States in order to balance the tires. These weights often
come loose and fall off. They are either washed into storm sewers and
end up in waterways or are gathered during street cleaning and placed in
municipal landfills. The weights are susceptible to atmospheric
corrosion. When placed in acidic conditions, such as those found in
municipal landfills, they lead is solubolized and can contaminate ground
water. Currently, there are no regulatory controls governing the use of
lead tire weights.
Safe Alternatives for Lead Tire Weights
The solution to this problem is to provide safe alternatives for lead in
tire weights. Some currently available alternatives are tin, tungsten,
and ZAMAC (an alloy of zinc, aluminum and copper). The National Waste
Minimization Program is developing a voluntary program that will work
with wheel weight manufacturers on potential lead substitutes,
coordinate with organizations already engaged in this effort, and
involve other stakeholders (retailers, automobile manufacturers, and
trade associations), in order to reduce the potential impact of lead
tire weights on human health and the environment. The two efforts to
find alternatives are Lead Free Wheels and Clean Car Campaign.