U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Open-File Report 2006–1111

Stocks and Flows of Lead-Based Wheel Weights

in the United States
Stocks and Flows of Lead-Based Wheel 

Weights in the United States

By Donald I. Bleiwas

Open-File Report 2006–1111

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

P. Lynn Scarlett, Acting Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2006

For product and ordering information:

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

For more information on the USGS--the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, 

natural hazards, and the environment:

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the 

U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to 

reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Suggested citation:

Bleiwas, D.I., 2006, Stocks and flows of lead-based wheel weghts in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey OpenFile Report 2006–1111, 6 p.
iii

Contents

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Environmental Concerns Associated With Lead Wheel Weights .........................................................1

Analysis of Stocks and Flows of Lead Wheel Weights ...........................................................................2

Manufacture and Trade ................................................................................................................................2

Initial Distribution and Inventories..............................................................................................................2

Lead Wheel-Weights in Use ........................................................................................................................2

Lead Wheel Weights Lost on Roadways During Use ..............................................................................4

Recovery From Tire Replacement, Repairs, and Automotive Scrap .....................................................4

Unaccounted Lead Wheel Weights and Possible Fate...........................................................................5

Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................................5

References Cited............................................................................................................................................5

Figures

1. Six-ounce clip-on and 6-ounce adhesive-backed lead weights for use on larger vehicles ........1

2. A generalized representation of stocks and flows of lead-based wheel weights in the

United States .................................................................................................................................3

3. Clip-on 1-ounce lead-based wheel weights .........................................................................................4
Stocks and Flows of Lead-Based Wheel Weights

in the United States

By Donald I. Bleiwas

Environmental Concerns Associated 

With Lead Wheel Weights

The United States Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) recognizes the dangers of lead to the environment and 

human health, in general (U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 2005a, b) and has created regulations in the United 

States that ban the use of lead in some products, such as leadbased paint in the late 1970s and leaded fuels for vehicles in 

the early 1980s. More recently, the EPA recognized that leadbased wheel weights that have fallen from vehicles and unaccounted lead weights that do not enter the recycling stream 

may be potential contributors of lead to the environment (U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, 2005c) and may require 

further investigation following denial of a petition submitted 

to the Agency by the Ecology Center to ban their use, on the 

grounds that more research is required.

As of July 1, 2005, lead wheel weights were banned on 

new vehicles and on after-market wheels in Europe in response 

to environmental concerns about losses along roadways and 

inappropriate disposal by tire retailers and scrap processors 

(Tin Technology, 2003; Perfect Equipment, 2005). Europeanmanufactured vehicles are using steel, zinc, and other metals 

as a substitute for lead in wheel weights. American manufacturers are also producing zinc weights as a replacement for 

lead (Perfect Equipment, 2005).

Although there are no Federal regulatory controls governing the use of lead wheel weights in the United States (U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, 2005c), actions at state levels of government, sometimes in response to non-government 

organizations reflect concerns similar to those of governments 

in Europe. The State of Minnesota and the city of Ann Arbor, 

Michigan are phasing out the use of lead wheel weights on 

their fleet vehicles (Ecology Center, 2004; Minnesota Department of Administration, 2004). In Washington State, some 

tire and wheel retailers are voluntarily switching to zinc wheel 

weights that do not contain lead. The replacement weights 

are being supplied at no cost to the retailers through a grant 

partially funded by the EPA (Ecology Center, 2005a).

It is unclear whether substitute materials are neutral in 

their environmental impacts. For example, several studies on 

examining zinc released into the environment, from tire wear 

Introduction

Lead is used in many widely known applications, such as 

automobile batteries and radiation shielding. Another lesser 

known, but long-term, use of lead is in automotive vehicle 

wheel weights (fig. 1). Lead weights have been used to balance wheels since the 1930s (Mike Astorino, Vice President 

of Sales and Marketing, Perfect Equipment Incorporated, oral 

commun., July 26, 2005) because of its high specific gravity, 

low relative cost, and its malleability. Out-of-balance tires tend 

to “cup” and vibrate and as a result cause excessive wear on 

tires and vehicle suspension components and result in compromised handling, especially at high speeds. The mass, number, 

and style of weights needed to balance a wheel depend on 

the tire’s size and weight and on the type and condition of the 

wheels (rims) on the vehicle.

This study addresses an accounting of the stocks and 

flows of lead contained in lead wheel weights from their 

manufacture, through use, dissipation, and recycling, and environmental issues associated with the use of lead.

Figure 1. Six-ounce clip-on and 6-ounce adhesive-backed lead 

weights for use on larger vehicles, such as buses and trucks 

(photo source: Donald I. Bleiwas). 
   Stocks and Flows of Lead-Based Wheel Weights in the United States

(tire rubber contains zinc) and from other sources, have indicated that there may be some environmental consequences that 

require further study (Councell and others, 2004; Minnesota 

Department of Administration, 2004).

Analysis of Stocks and Flows of Lead 

Wheel Weights

The potentially toxic affects of lead in the environment 

and potential changes to its use brought about by legislation 

and material substitution suggests that an understanding of the 

metal’s use is important. The lead used in wheel weights is 

best understood in the broader context of the stocks and flows 

(amount and nature of materials in use, losses and recovery, 

and reuse through recycling) of lead use in the economy.

Virtually all wheel-weight lead, actually an alloy containing approximately 5 percent antimony, is recovered from 

recycled automobile batteries. It is continually added to the 

total lead stocks in use through the sales of new vehicles and 

with the maintenance and replacement of worn tires on older 

vehicles. At the same time, lead is taken out of stocks in use 

by other processes, such as loss of weights on roads, removing wheel weights when tires are replaced, and scrapping old 

or damaged vehicles. Over the last few years, the importation 

of new vehicles that have wheel weights using materials other 

than lead also works to limit the amount of lead entering the 

cycle.

Figure 2 is a generalized representation of stocks and 

flows of lead wheel weights in the United States for the year 

2003. Values are expressed as metric tons (t) of lead contained 

in wheel weights. Tonnages associated with the stocks and 

flows should be considered as estimates; few statistics are 

published and assumptions were incorporated into developing 

the estimates that can be revised should additional information become available. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 

thousand tons of contained lead.

Manufacture and Trade

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that approximately 

28,000 t of lead was used in the production of wheel weights 

in the United States in 2003 (fig. 2) (Smith, 2005; Peter 

Gabby, lead commodity specialist, U.S. Geological Survey, 

oral commun., April 12, 2006 ).

There is some trade in lead wheel weights with Canada 

and Mexico. The high weight and low value of lead wheel 

weights preclude significant amounts of overseas imports or 

exported wheel weights. It was estimated that approximately 

4,000 t were imported from Canada in 2003 (Peter Gabby, lead 

commodity specialist, U.S. Geological Survey, oral commun., 

April 7, 2006).

Use of these weights was by fleet managers, tire dealers, 

vehicle manufacturers, and others in the United States and was 

added to the stock of lead wheel weights in use. Lead weights are 

also held in inventory by manufacturers, tire retailers, and installed 

on unregistered vehicles. Movement to and from inventories is difficult to estimate because of individual company policies, new car 

sales, rate of tire replacement, new store openings and other factors.

Initial Distribution and Inventories

Wheel weights enter use primarily through commercial 

repair shops (including vehicle dealerships), fleet management 

facilities, tire retailers, and vehicle manufacturers.

The amount of weights used for tire repair and replacement and inventories was estimated at approximately 22,000 

t of lead in weights. Inventories are on-the-shelf material and 

are replenished on an as-needed basis. The construction of new 

stores also requires establishing an initial inventory. Inventories 

of lead weights were estimated to be unusually high in 2003 at 

8,000 t, primarily due to an increase in imports from Canada 

(Peter Gabby, lead commodity specialist, U.S. Geological Survey, 

oral commun., April 12, 2006). Inventory estimates are based 

on interviews performed by the author from a sample of the 12 

largest retail tire store chains in the United States and provided 

from other sources (Mike Astorino, Vice President of Sales and 

Marketing, Perfect Equipment Incorporated, oral commun., April 

1, 2006; Peter Gabby, lead commodity specialist, U.S. Geological 

Survey, oral commun., April 7, 2006). Six thousand tons of this 

estimate was assigned to a category containing tire retailers and 

repair shops, and other holders of inventory. About 2,000 t may 

have been held in inventory by vehicle manufacturers.

The movements to and from inventories was difficult to 

estimate because of company policies, new car sales, rate of 

tire replacement, new store openings and other factors.

Based on the number of new vehicles produced and sold 

in the United States in 2003, it was estimated that approximately 10,000 t of lead in wheel weights was used.

Lead Wheel-Weights in Use

In 2003, approximately 65,000 t of lead wheel weights were 

estimated to be in use on 232 million registered automobiles, light 

trucks, and commercial vehicles (U.S. Federal Highway Administration, 2006). This figure was derived using an estimate of 2.5 

ounces of lead wheel weights per wheel for automobiles and light 

trucks and 7 ounces for each front wheel (weight on other wheels 

is considered insignificant) for large commercial vehicles (Carlton 

Freeman, Supervisory Engineer, Bada Division of Hennessy 

Industries, oral commun., July 26, 2005; Mike Astorino, Vice 

President of Sales and Marketing, Perfect Equipment Incorporated, oral commun., July 26, 2005; Jeff Gearheart, Campaign 

Director, Ecology Center, oral commun., August 11, 2003). For 

automobiles and light trucks, it was assumed that 80 percent of 
Figure 2. A generalized representation of stocks and flows of lead-based wheel weights in the United States (2003).

Lead in

weights in

use

(Stocks in

use)

U.S. lead-based

battery

man

ufacturers

O

bsolete lead-based

batteries

17,0

0

0 t

Lead in

weights lost on road

ways

28,0

0

0 t

Im

ports

In

ventories

6,0

0

0 t

In

ventories

2,0

0

0 t

Tire retailers, repair shops,

an

d

dealerships

Vehicles prod

uced an

d

sold in the U.S.

E

x

ports

65,0

0

0 t

32,0

0

0 t

Other usesan

d ex

ports A

ntimon

y an

d lead

make-u

p feed

Im

ported

new an

d

used

vehicles

A

utomotive scrap

dealers

3,0

0

0 t

<50

0 t 14,0

0

0 t 4,0

0

0 t <50

0 t

1,150,0

0

0 t

3,0

0

0 t

18,0

0

0 t

10,0

0

0 t

2,0

0

0 t

28,0

0

0 t

4,0

0

0 t

<1,0

0

0 t

28,0

0

0 t

EXPLANATION

Production/use flow

Recycle flow

Unaccounted lead in weights

(sent to U.S. or foreign smelters, exported on 

new and used vehicles, stored onsite, disposed 

appropriately and inappropriately, lost, used in 

sports and hobbies, and other uses)

Auto parts distributors, new car 

dealerships, repair shops, tire 

retailers, and other stocks

U.S. lead 

wheel weight 

manufacturers Lead recovery from primarily lead acid 

battery recyclers and 

other secondary smelters 

in the United States

Lead Wheel-Weights in Use   
 Stocks and Flows of Lead-Based Wheel Weights in the United States

vehicles had weights. This 80 percent factor was considered a reasonable assumption to accommodate recently imported vehicles 

that do not use lead weights and vehicles that, for one or more 

reasons, may be missing or not using wheel weights.

The total amount of lead in stock in use as wheel weights 

on vehicles in the United States may differ from year to year 

because of the addition of new vehicles, the rate of the retirement 

(scrapped) of vehicles, rate of tire replacement, greater or lesser 

use of material substitution and newer wheel-balancing technology, and wheel weight loss from vehicles in use. Although not 

considered significant, exported vehicles with weights mounted 

on the wheels also contribute to a loss of stocks in use. Likewise, 

the number of imported vehicles with lead wheel weights is also 

considered insignificant, especially owing to the fact that some 

countries now ban their use (Tin Technology, 2003; Perfect 

Equipment, 2005). Beginning in 2006, some domestically produced vehicles will use lead-free wheel weights in order to permit 

export to Europe and possibly in anticipation of a ruling banning 

the material from use. The substitution of other materials for 

lead will affect future stocks in use dramatically, especially if tire 

retailers change to the use of non-lead-based wheel weights.

Lead Wheel Weights Lost on 

Roadways During Use

In 2003, it was estimated approximately 2,000 t of lead in 

wheel weights in use were lost on the Nation’s roadways. An 

estimate of nearly 5,000 t was estimated by the Ecology Center 

using different estimation criteria (Ecology Center, 2005b) in 

early 2005, but the estimate by the Center was reduced to 1,600 

t in a subsequent publication (Ecology Center, 2005c). Most 

weights are lost on urban roads where hitting curbs and potholes, rapid acceleration and decelerations, and sharp turning 

can cause clip-on weights and poorly applied adhesive-backed 

weights to come loose. Often, lost weights drop to the road surface where they may become abraded by vehicle traffic (fig. 3), 

eventually becoming dissipated into the environment by wind 

and storm water (Root, 2000; Robert Root, senior research scientist, Battelle Memorial Institute, retired, oral commun., 2005).

In regards to lead in the environment, the antimony content 

of the wheel weight could be a useful indicator in distinguishing this source of lead from other possible sources, such as 

from the legacy of leaded gasoline. Because lead wheel weights 

have been used on vehicles for about 70 years, the cumulative 

amount of contained lead dispersed may be significant.

Recovery from Tire Replacement, 

Repairs, and Automotive Scrap

Approximately 268 million new and retreaded automobile, light truck, and heavy commercial-truck replacement 

tires were sold in 2003 (Rubber Manufacturers Association, 

2005). Using this data, along with assumptions about weight 

per wheel described above, about 18,000 t of lead in lead 

wheel weights were recovered from tire replacements. This 

estimate includes an adjustment to accommodate tires that had 

lost weights during use and were not collected, and additional 

weights collected from tire repair. The re-use of wheel weights 

by retailers, a practice of some retail tire stores, was not considered significant and therefore not included in the estimate.

Based on the number of automobiles, light trucks and 

SUVs scrapped in 2003 (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 

2006), an estimated 3,000 t of lead in wheel weights was 

recovered by automotive scrap dealers. Scrapped commercial 

truck data are not available, and probably amounted to less 

than 500 t. Most of the lead weights collected by scrap dealers are assumed to be sent to domestic or foreign secondary 

lead smelters which also treat lead from obsolete lead-acid 

vehicle batteries. In 2003, secondary smelting facilities produced approximately 1.15 million tons (Mt) of lead, of which 

approximately 92 percent was from vehicle batteries.

An informal survey determined that about half of tire 

retailers and fleet managers recycle lead wheel weights 

(MacDicken, 2005) by selling them either directly to smelters 

Figure 3. Clip-on 1-ounce lead-based wheel weights; 

comparison of a new weight and one abraded by traffic (photo 

source: Donald I. Bleiwas).
or through dealers. This does not suggest that only half of the 

weights are recycled, since most of the country’s replacement 

tires are sold through large tire chain retails. The Nation’s 

largest retail tire store chains such as Bridgestone/Firestone, 

Discount Tire Co. (R. Woolford, Executive Assistant, Discount 

Tire Company, oral commun., February 7, 2006), Les Schwab, 

Sears (Sears Holding Corp.), and Wal-Mart (M. Rojo, Store 

Manager, Wal-Mart, oral commun., February 7, 2006) have 

company policies that require the wheel weights to be recycled. An estimate derived by talking with industry representatives suggests that approximately 14,000 t, or 75 percent, of 

the lead in wheel weights recovered by retailers are recycled. 

Based on the number and type of vehicles retired, about 3,000 

t of lead from wheel weights was recovered by automotive 

scrap dealers in 2003. This estimate does not include commercial trucks, which probably accounted for less than 500 t.

The wheel weights collected by retailers and scrap dealers 

are smelted with obsolete battery components of similar composition for eventual use in new automobile batteries, new wheel 

weights, and other products. In 2003, secondary smelting facilities produced approximately 1.15 Mt of lead, of which approximately 92 percent (Smith, 2005) was from vehicle batteries and 

less than 2 percent from recycled lead wheel weights.

Little is documented concerning the amount of material 

collected and its fate in this segment of the material flow of 

lead wheel weights.

Unaccounted Lead Wheel Weights and 

Possible Fate

About 4,000 t of lead in wheel weights are unaccounted for, 

but could include weights given or sold by retailers to anglers 

for making weights and lures; boaters for constructing keels and 

ballast (Ashmore, 2004); and hunters for making ammunition. 

Some of the unaccounted tonnage may be disposed of as hazardous waste or placed in landfills, recycled through smelters, stored 

on-site at businesses, or illegally dumped. The estimated amount 

of material could also be affected by changes in inventories and 

to the estimates for lead wheel weights recovered by retailers and 

scrap dealers and the estimated percentage recycled.

A study focusing on the collection and recycling habits 

of lead wheel weights collected by tire retailers would better 

enable an estimate of the actual of the “unaccounted” portion 

of the materials flow of lead wheel weights.

Conclusion

Much of the emphasis concerning lead wheel weights has 

been placed on losses during use. However, when viewing lead 

wheel weights through a model of stocks and flows, it appears 

that determining the fate of the unaccounted material may 

also need to be investigated more thoroughly, with a particular 

emphasis on the disposition of lead wheel weights collected by 

dealerships, fleet managers, repair shops, and tire retailers.

References Cited

Ashmore, Glenn, 2004, Glenn’s backyard boat building 

page—Wheel weights: Glenns’s Backyard Boat Building 

Page at http://www.rutuonline.com/html/wheel_weights.

html. (Accessed January 4, 2006.)

Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2006, Table 4-54—Motor 

vehicles scrapped: Bureau of Transportation Statistics Website at http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/2006/html/table_04_54.html. (Accessed April 

17, 2006.)

Councell, T.B., Duckenfield, K.U., Landa, E.R., and Callender, E.C., 2004, Tire-wear particles as a source of zinc to 

the environment: Environmental Science and Technology, v. 

38, August, p. 4206-4214. (Also available online at http://

pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/article.cgi/esthag/2004/38/i15/html/

es034631f.html.)

Ecology Center, 2004, State announces program to phase-out 

lead wheel weights on state vehicles: Website at http://www.

leadfreewheels.org/release20040315minnesota.shtml. 

(Accessed July 8, 2005.)

Ecology Center, 2005a, Washington State tire retailer to phase 

out lead tire weights: Website at http://www.leadfreewheels.

org/release20050419washington.shtml. (Accessed July 28, 

2005.)

Ecology Center, 2005b, Environmentalists move to ban major 

automotive lead use: Website at http://www.leadfreewheels.

org/release20050517tsca.shtml. (Accessed July 28, 2005.)

Ecology Center, 2005c, EPA balks on banning major automotive lead use: Website at http://www.ecocenter.org/

releases/20050815_tscaleadww.shtml. (Accessed July 28, 

2005.)

MacDicken, Becky, 2005, TIA and EPA ask dealers to “Get 

the lead of the environment”: Today’s Tire Industry, July/

August, p. 23-26.

Minnesota Department of Administration, 2004, Minnesota 

phasing out lead wheel weights on State vehicles: Website at http://www.admin.state.mn.us/wheel_weights.html. 

(Accessed August 19, 2005.)

Perfect Equipment Incorporated, 2005, Lead-free: Website at 

http://www.perfectequipment.com/non_lead.php. (Accessed 

July 28, 2005.)

References Cited 
 Stocks and Flows of Lead-Based Wheel Weights in the United States

Root, Robert, 2000, Lead loading on urban streets by motor 

vehicle wheel weights: Environmental Health Perspectives, 

v. 108, no. 10, October, p. 937-940. (Also available online 

at http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2000/108p937-940root/

root.pdf.)

Rubber Manufacturers Association, 2005, U.S. tire industry 

facts: Washington, D.C., Rubber Manufacturers Association, 52 p.

Smith, G.R., 2005, Lead, in Metals and minerals: U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook 2003, v. I, p. 43.1- 43.9. 

(Also available online at http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/

pubs/commodity/lead/lead_myb03.pdf.)

Tin Technology, 2003, European Commission sets date for ban 

on lead wheel balance weights: Tin Technology Website at 

http://www.tintechnology.com/tintechnology/tintechnology.

aspx?page_id=1954. (Accessed July 8, 2005.)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005a, Lead in paint, 

dust, and soil: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Website at http://www.epa.gov/lead/. (Accessed July 12, 2005.)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005b, Lead in paint, 

dust and soil—Executive summary: U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency Website at http://www.epa.gov/lead/ex_

vol1.htm. (Accessed July 13, 2005.)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005c, Waste minimization; lead tire weights: U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency Website at http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/

minimize/leadtire.htm. (Accessed July 13, 2005.)

U.S. Federal Highway Administration, 2006, Highway 

statistics 2003—Section 2—Motor vehicles: U.S. Federal 

Highway Administration Website at http://www.fhwa.dot.

gov/policy/ohim/hs03/mv.htm. (Accessed April 10, 2006.)