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"If the public becomes more aware of the environmental dangers of lead wheel weights and is given alternative wheel balancing choices then there will be a decrease in lead entering the environment. It is important that we make sure that the water we drink and the air we breathe is free of lead." TEAM DEAD WEIGHT 
Siemens We Can Change the World ChallengeSiemens, Discovery Education and NSTA are pleased to announce the state finalists of the 2009 Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge! Team Dead Weight is the STATE OF IOWA AND FIRST PLACE NATIONAL GRAND PRIZE WINNER. 
About
the Challenge
As citizens and
future stewards of our planet, today’s students are in a unique position to
become active agents of environmental change. The good news is that many of
them are very interested in learning about and taking responsibility for their
environment and their future. Today’s young
people will inherit a world that’s very different from the one their parents
inherited. Climate change; polluted air, water and soil; endangered species;
shrinking coastlines; and a rapidly increasing population are among the many
issues that threaten our global environment. The Siemens
We Can Change the World Challenge gives students the opportunity, tools
and inspiration to become those agents of change. Beginning in fall 2008
through March 15, 2009, middle school student teams from across the country
will be challenged to create sustainable, reproducible environmental
improvements in their local communities. Today’s students
are ready to change the world. Let’s get them
started. Lead wheel weights are used to balance tires on vehicles
with little thought about the metal used to make the weight. Lead is one of the
top three hazardous waste materials listed by the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
<http://www.epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.htm>. Lead adversely affects the
environment and humans. The US EPA estimates that 10% of lead wheel weights
fall off during normal driving conditions (U.S. Geological Survey. We found an article about Everyone in our community will benefit from the phase out of lead wheel weights. Children will especially benefit from our efforts because exposure to lead detrimentally affects the development of the brain. Adults who work in tire service centers will benefit because they will have less occupational exposure to lead. Step 2: Research It! Wheel weights are metal clips that are attached to tire rims to balance tires. Since the 1930’s, lead has been the preferred substance for wheel weights. Lead affects the nervous, circulatory and reproductive systems <www.atsdr.cdc.gov>. People who work with large amounts of lead are 3 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease (www.ehponline.org). Lead can decrease a person’s IQ by up to 3 points for every microgram of lead per deciliter of blood <www.mass.gov>. Lead accumulates in soil and sediment and slows growth and reproduction rates of plants and animals. Lead bioaccumulates in fish, which can work its way up the food chain. We read an article by Dr. Robert Root: “Lead Loading of Urban Streets by Motor Vehicle Wheel Weights”. This article and our correspondence with Dr. Root helped us understand the significant problem that lead wheel weights pose to the environment. Dr Root’s study shows how easily discarded wheel weights abrade and disintegrate into particles or dust that can be then picked up by tires and shoes or be washed away by rain into sewers. Lead particles picked up by tires, shoes, etc can be brought into the garage and homes. This led us to contemplate why so little was done to regulate the entry of lead into the environment from using lead wheel weights to balance tires. Through
our communications with Linda Barr, US EPA, we learned that the EPA launched
the National Lead-Free Wheel Weight Initiative (NLFWWI) on Aug. 29, 2008. The
purpose of the NLFWWI is to encourage the voluntary transition from the use of
lead in wheel weights. We learned that there are alternative metals (steel,
copper, and aluminum) that can be used in place of lead for wheel weights. We
also contacted Theresa Stiner, Iowa DNR, to inquire
about current regulations that exist regarding lead wheel weights. We learned
there are no specific regulations in According to a
survey conducted by the Through
our research we learned that annually about 65,000 tons of lead wheel weights
are used in the We
looked into the We
called organizations in order to become knowledgeable about conducting lead
testing. Dr. Michael Wichman from the University
Hygienic Laboratory (UHL) invited us to tour the UHL lab in Our hypothesis is: If the public becomes more aware of the
environmental dangers of lead wheel weights and is given alternative wheel
balancing choices then there will be a decrease in lead entering the
environment. In our town there are approximately 1,700 vehicles. Each vehicle has about 127 grams (4.5 ounces) of lead wheel weights on their tires. Approximately 10% of the lead wheel weights fall off during normal driving conditions (U.S. Geological Survey. USA Today, August 28, 2008), resulting in about 2.2 kg (5 pounds) of lead being deposited on the streets. Groundwater and surface water may be contaminated through street water runoff and children may come in contact with lead carried into homes on shoes and tires. Therefore, if our hypothesis is
correct, our community will be safer because groundwater contamination from
lead wheel weights will be eliminated.
The risk of lead poisoning by touching lead wheel weights will also be
eliminated. Step 3:
Plan It! Our team met to identify and distribute tasks. We developed a timeline. We communicated through email and weekly meetings. We worked before and after school on the project. We met 1-2 times each week for most of the project. In August 2008, team members did background research on wheel weights and lead. Justin studied the history, Brennan studied the health effects of lead, and Jathan studied the environmental effects. Our next step was to visit car dealers and tire centers. Lead wheel weight trays at the tire service centers tested positive for the presence of lead. In October 2008, the team worked on organizing the testing. Lead wheel weight testing kits and procedures were researched. Our team devised a testing protocol. Preliminary lead testing was conducted by all team members. The University Hygienic Lab was contacted concerning the wheel weight lead testing protocol. The team worked on organizing community education and legislative lobbying. Display posters were designed and created. We created a brochure recommending why lead wheel weights should be phased out. Each member wrote letters to interested community members and state legislators. Brennan emailed and phoned legislators Kaufman, Bolkcom and Willems. Justin corresponded with Charles Margulis (CEH). Jathan communicated with Dr. Root. Team members participated in five Lead Wheel Weight
Community Awareness presentations held between November and January. The team
gave presentations to the City Council, the On January 3, 2009 we
participated in the annual Environmental Summit held at our school. Five state legislators and a Department of
Transportation representative attended.
As a result we worked with Representative Kaufmann and Willems to craft three bills that were presented to the
Iowa Legislature recommending the phasing out of lead as the metal used in
wheel weights. We distributed brochures to parents. We visited tire service centers and provided educational materials for employees and customers. After our educational efforts, we administered our survey to see if our educational efforts had an effect. The results are in Section 4. On March 4, 2009 we presented information to legislators and environmental committees at the State Capitol about the hazards of lead wheel weights. We lobbied for support to pass the three bills we initiated. Step 4: Do It! Scientific Method We experimented with lead wheel weights in four different solutions. Rainwater simulated precipitation; dilute .5% acetic acid vinegar solution simulated landfill conditions; salt-sand/rainwater simulated winter road conditions; and distilled water which can be naturally occurring. Twelve plastic bottles were provided by UHL. Three bottles contained 500 ml of distilled water. Three contained 500 ml of rainwater (5.5 pH). Three
contained 500 ml of vinegar solution (2.9-3.0 pH). Three contained 500 ml of rainwater with 43
grams of salt/sand mixture (5.5 pH). Four of the 12 bottles were used as controls,
one of each solution with no wheel weights.
We placed one 7 gram steel wheel weight in each of four individual
solution bottles. Finally, we placed one
14 gram lead wheel weight in each of the remaining individual plastic bottles
of solution. After 24 hours we used lead indicator kits to test for the
presence of lead. The rainwater,
vinegar, and salt/sand solutions with lead wheel weights tested positive.
We met with Dr. Michael Wichman, UHL, who agreed to replicate our experiment in his laboratory and to quantify the results. We prepared the experiment the same as our initial tests. The 12 plastic bottles were placed on a “shaker” that rotated for 18 hours according to EPA Toxic Characteristic Leaching Protocol Test (TCLP).
The UHL test results show significant
amounts of lead compounds present in the experimental solutions. simulating
landfill leachate conditions as defined by TCLP
standards established by the US EPA. The lead wheel weight experiment
yielded an astonishing 385 mg/Liter (385 ppm) lead concentration in solution. The dilute acetic acid solution dissolved
more than 0.3 grams from the lead in wheel weights! (Click here.) We surveyed 109 families and 21 tire centers to test our hypothesis that educating the public and tire center owners results in fewer lead wheel weights being used on vehicles. We distributed brochures and fact sheets. Post survey results showed an increase in awareness of lead wheel weights.
Tire centers were provided with a brochure, fact sheet, and safety posters and later were resurveyed. Their knowledge and willingness to use non-lead metals in wheel weights increased by 33%. There was a 52% increase in knowledge of environmental issues associated with lead wheel weights.
Step 5: Analyze It! We learned what wheel weights are, how they are used and why lead is the preferred metal for wheel weights. We learned about potential hazards lead poses to humans and the environment. We learned that citizens in our community had little awareness of hazards from lead wheel weights. Our research verified landfills contain acetic acid producing bacteria <www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/landfill/html/ch2.html>. Our experiments suggest that lead in wheel weights readily react with acetic acid present in our test solutions and dilute acid present in rainwater (pH=5.5) producing toxic highly mobile soluble lead compounds. http:www.silver-colloids.com/Tables/Solubility_Rules.html The UHL test results verified and quantified our team’s preliminary testing for the presence of lead using home lead test kits. Upon
completion of the experiments using EPA protocol, Dr. Wichman
stated, “Based on these results one
can determine that various conditions could result in leaching of lead from
wheel weights. How that models into contamination of groundwater and/or surface
water requires more research.” The lead wheel weight testing to
determine the solubility of lead under various conditions is a logical step to
enhance the understanding of how hazardous lead could be released into the
environment. Our experiment results suggest that minute amounts of measurable lead can react under environmental conditions forming water soluble lead compounds. If lead becomes mobile under natural environmental conditions then it could potentially enter the environment and our drinking water reserves through leaching and surface water runoff. Because the accidental deposition of unregulated lead wheel weights is occurring on our nation’s highways, our test results lead us to believe that environmental levels of lead could increase due to the formation of soluble lead compounds. Our test results are important because discarded and road deposited lead wheel weights can end up in landfills or are abraded on roadways by tires, precipitation, sand and salt. Our UHL test results suggest lead in wheel weights can potentially form soluble lead compounds that are carried off by street water runoff. Lead contamination should not be tolerated. It is
exciting to know that because of our project and Environmental Summit, three
bills have been introduced in the State Legislature and that our city has begun
phasing out the use of lead wheel weights on its vehicles. The tire centers surveyed have
expressed a willingness to offer lead free wheel weight alternatives and one
dealer has switched to offering only steel.
Step 6: Share It! (450 words) Our project has impacted and made a difference in our community! There has been an increase in the awareness of the hazards of lead wheel weights. Employees of local tire service centers are aware of potential health hazards when installing lead wheel weights. Dodge Street Tire announced, “We care about the environment! That is why we are the first in town to offer steel wheel weights”. The police chief, mayor, and school superintendent have mandated phasing out lead wheel weights on police, city, and school vehicles. State legislators have introduced three bills to phase out the lead in wheel weights. All communities benefit if lead in wheel weights is phased out. If a safe substance is used in wheel weights, lead is eliminated from entering the environment. There is a solution to the problem. Replicating our model in other communities can be accomplished: 1) through surveys, brochures and presentations to increase awareness of citizens, policy makers, and tire service owners about the hazards of lead wheel weights and the alternative of installing lead free wheel weights; 2) by crafting bills to phase out the installation of lead wheel weights; and 3) by working with legislators, the DNR, and environmental committees to encourage them to support the bills to become law. Ultimately, our goal is to eliminate the lead in wheel weights. To accomplish this, we recommend replication by communities that share our vision. Our website, <www.leadzero.org>, informs the public about the hazards of lead wheel weights. For communities to proceed with the project, we recommend conducting research to learn of health problems associated with lead wheel weights. Success includes the need to: 1) establish partnerships with research facilities to complete lead solubility testing; 2) create educational materials and petitions to improve community awareness; 3) work cooperatively with community decision makers to phase out lead wheel weights on city vehicles; 4) contact state policy makers to craft a bill to present to legislative committees; and 5) know a significant difference can be made in the community.
We began working on our issue in August.
The time required depends on: 1) establishing partnerships with
scientists, tire centers, and policy makers; 2) making presentations to
community citizens; 3) contacting legislators; and 4) once the legislative
process begins, contacting policy makers. Commitment, dedication, and
persistence are key components for success. Currently, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Bookmarks for Dead Weight
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Science research team "Dead Weight" recognizes the
need to protect the public from exposure to lead hazards.
There are no federal regulatory controls governing use of lead
wheel weights. Environmental health hazards associated with lead
wheel weights are a preventable problem. People are exposed to
lead fragments and dust when lead wheel weights fall from motor
vehicles onto the nation's roadways and are then abraded and
pulverized by traffic. Lead wheel weights on and alongside roadways
can contribute to soil, surface and groundwater contamination and
pose hazards to downstream aquatic life.
Lead negatively affects every bodily system. While it is
injurious to people of all ages, lead is especially harmful to
fetuses,children, and adults of childbearing age. Effects of lead
on a child's cognitive, behavioral, and developmental abilities may
necessitate large expenditures of public funds for health care and
special education. Irreversible damage to children and subsequent
expenditures could be avoided if exposure to lead is reduced.
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