No one is tracking the substantial amount of lead that escapes into the environment from car tyres THE CAMPAIGN against lead-based products has failed to target one of the biggest sources of lead pollution— weights used for wheel balancing. The weights, which are put on tyres so that they do not vibrate, often fall off during driving. They then get crushed by cars and contaminate air and water bodies. Lead is a neurotoxin that causes brain damage and is most harmful to children and pregnant women. Over exposure to lead can cause serious ailments such as wrist drop, also known as radial nerve palsy, memory loss, reduced sperm count in men and miscarriage in women? There is no study on the amount of lead pollution caused by wheel balancing weights in the country.

Calculations by Down To Earth indicate 7,250 tonnes of lead fall from tyres of passenger cars every year. There are 141.8 million registered vehicles in India. A car normally has 250 grams of lead weight clipped to its wheels. This means at least 36,250 tonnes of lead are used as balancing weights in the country. Now, the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency says 13 per cent of wheel balancing weights in cars fall off every year in the US. In India, it should be around 20 per cent because of the poor road conditions—which means at least 7,250 tonnes of lead gets wasted every year in the country.

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