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Tyre Weights an Overlooked Diffuse Source of Lead and Antimony to Road Runoff

Author

Listed:
  • Matthew Taylor

    (Waikato Regional Council, Private Bag 3038, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand)

  • Niklas Kruger

    (Waikato Regional Council, Private Bag 3038, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
    Fakultät Architektur, Bauingenieurwesen und Umweltwissenschaften, Technischen Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew Taylor & Niklas Kruger, 2020. "Tyre Weights an Overlooked Diffuse Source of Lead and Antimony to Road Runoff," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-10, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:6790-:d:402172
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mikhail Y. Semenov & Natalya A. Onishchuk & Olga G. Netsvetaeva & Tamara V. Khodzher, 2021. "Source Apportionment of Particulate Matter in Urban Snowpack Using End-Member Mixing Analysis and Positive Matrix Factorization Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Mikhail Y. Semenov & Anton V. Silaev & Yuri M. Semenov & Larisa A. Begunova & Yuri M. Semenov, 2022. "Identifying and Characterizing Critical Source Areas of Organic and Inorganic Pollutants in Urban Agglomeration in Lake Baikal Watershed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-17, November.

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