Steel Wheel Weights Study

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) decided to employ life cycle assessment tools to evaluate the impact of alternatives to lead wheel weights currently being used in California. The comparative assessment described in this report evaluates certain impacts associated with lead, steel, and zinc alloy wheel weights to identify regrettable substitutions or burden shifting as a result of the lead wheel weight ban. Metal production inventories were used to compare the impacts of the different wheel weight formulations and to understand the processes contributing to adverse impacts. Impacts from weight losses during use were also evaluated to compare the environmental and human health trade-off.