By identifying the main product categories and quantifying the pools o
f metals; the amounts, flows and uses of lead and zinc in the city of
Stockholm have been studied. The emissions of metals into different en
vironmental media are estimated. The pools and flows in the biosphere
are introduced, and compared with the anthropogenic pools and emission
s. Finally, the product emissions are compared with the measured dissi
pative use, based on the metal concentrations in the sludge at the mai
n waste water treatment plant and in storm water. The amount of lead t
hat is recorded in the waste water treatment plants can mainly be expl
ained by deposition. However, emissions from many of the product categ
ories quantified for lead in Stockholm are not likely to collect at se
wage treatment plants. Instead, the emissions are more likely to be no
ticed in the storm water, the soil and the sediments around the city.
In total, about 45 000 tonnes of lead and about 6000 tomes of metallic
zinc are quantified in the study. The product emissions were roughly
estimated to be 30 tonnes of lead each year. There are however, large
uncertainties in the emission factors. The city can definitely be rega
rded as a source of zinc pollution. This can be seen in the flows that
are registered in the waste water treatment plants, and the estimated
storm water flows. From these estimates, the city appears to contribu
te about 30 tonnes of metallic and biogenic zinc each year to surround
ing waters and to sludge. For the product groups and the emission fact
ors used in this study, a zinc emission of about 17 tonnes per year wa
s estimated, with the main contributions coming from street furniture,
tyres and buildings.