Group warns of high lead content in household paints

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MANILA, Philippines - Is there lead in the paint of your house?

A local waste and pollution watchdog yesterday sought the elimination of lead in paints, as it warned the public against the high lead content in household paints being sold in the Philippine market based on a recent worldwide study conducted by the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN).

The EcoWaste Coalition said that the launch of the pioneering report, “The Lead in New Decorative Household Paints: A Global Study,” confirmed “disturbing levels” of lead in household paints in developing countries despite it being outlawed in Europe since the 1920s.

“Lead is a poison and it should not be present in paint or other products to which children are exposed,” said Paeng Lopez of EcoWaste.

“Unlike adults who have the capability to protect themselves from harmful substances, children cannot ordinarily tell safe objects from hazardous ones. In their imaginary world, colorful dust or chipped paint is as harmless as Tinkerbelle’s pixie dust or Gretel’s bread crumbs. It is, therefore, morally incumbent upon us to protect the children from any potential harm,” he said.

In the Philippines, the study indicated that out of the 25 paint samples – 15 of which were enamel and 10 plastic paints – 40 percent registered lead concentrations higher than 90 parts per million (ppm) and 36 percent higher than 600 ppm. The study mentioned that one sample even showed “extremely elevated levels” of lead at 189,163.5 ppm, which is way beyond the recommended limit of 90 ppm.

Enamel samples of Boysen, Hudson, Mana, Popular and Sphero brands that were tested had low lead concentrations, while enamel samples of Coat Saver, Davies Gloss, Dutch Boy, Globe, Master, Nation, Olympic and Welcoat were found to have high lead concentrations, based on the report.

80 percent of paints contain lead

According to the study, 80 percent of the paint samples that were purchased by participating groups from 10 countries, including the Philippines, and tested in a government-accredited laboratory in India contain lead, one of the oldest known toxic substances blamed for irreversible nervous system damage, among other health hazards.

Professor Scott Clark, a visiting scientist from the University of Cincinnati who has done extensive research on lead in paints, said that the test results provided new evidence on the widespread production and sale of paints with “added lead” despite the availability of lead-free paints since the late 1800s.

“The new data on lead in household paints should elicit global and national campaigns and partnerships for the removal of lead in paints. As paint use increases as economies expand, it would be horrible and utterly unnecessary to see a legacy created of the poisoning of millions of children and others. Alternatives to lead use in paints have been available and widely used for more than 60 years,” Clark noted.

Clark is one of many experts who has devoted decades of study and research on the use of more than six million tons of lead in paint in the United States that has poisoned millions of children and is costing billions of dollars to reduce health risks in houses.

The global report was a result of the examination of a total of 317 paint samples collected in Sri Lanka, Philippines, Thailand, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Belarus, Mexico, and Brazil.

Among its other key findings were that the average new paint lead concentration in the 10 countries studied ranged from 4,091 ppm to 38,970 ppm – many times higher than the recommended limit of 90 ppm; while for seven of the countries, the average was greater than 10,000 ppm.

With a few exceptions, all water-based plastic paint samples had low lead concentrations of below 90 ppm, the study likewise indicated.

According to pediatrician and environmental health expert Dr. Irma Makalinao, lead can adversely impede a child’s brain and body development and health. She stressed that “child lead poisoning should be taken seriously, and parents should be aware of possible pathways of exposure including lead paint in one’s home.”

EcoWaste said that aside from irreversible nervous system damage, lead causes decreased intelligence even at extremely low doses.

It said that lead exposure in childhood has been associated with lower vocabulary and grammatical-reasoning scores, increased absenteeism, poor eye-to-hand coordination, and lower class standing in high school.

Meanwhile, the US-Environmental Protection Agency had determined that lead is a probable human carcinogen.

EcoWaste urged the government to address this lead threat to the public, especially to children.   

It called for mandatory national regulations for limiting lead concentrations in paints, proper monitoring plan to ensure that industries comply with standards, the determination of the extent of lead contamination of dust in existing houses in order to develop sound programs to reduce exposure to lead. The group also advised a mass campaign to make people aware of hazards associated with lead.

Earlier, the International POPs Elimination Network and Toxics Link launched the “Children’s Health First: Eliminate Lead Paint” global campaign, which seeks to champion children’s health and safety by eliminating lead paint and promoting safe alternatives through the Global Partnership to Eliminate Lead from Paint under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM).

SAICM is a global policy and strategy adopted by governments and stakeholders in 2006 to change how chemicals are produced and used in order to minimize harmful effects on public health and the environment.