Groups back lead phase-out in paints

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers (PAPM) and the EcoWaste Coalition have joined forces to promote compliance to the national phase-out target for lead-added industrial paints by December 31 next year.

The development is in time for the fifth anniversary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 2013-24 (Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds) issued on December 23, 2013.

The order bans the lead-containing paints used for architectural, decorative, and household applications Companies producing lead-added paints for industrial applications have until Dec. 31, 2019 to reformulate.

“After completing the three-year phase-out of lead-containing architectural, household and decorative paints last December 31, 2016, paint makers are now setting their sights on meeting the phase-out target for paints intended for industrial applications that still contain lead additives,” Vergel Dyoco, technical committee chairman of PAPM and Technical Service Department manager at Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc. said in a statement said.

Dyoco said paint manufacturers are investing resources to find feasible replacements to lead-based raw materials in order to abide by the 2019 deadline for phasing out lead-added paints used for cars, aircrafts, boats, appliances, metal sheets and other industrial uses.

Manny Calonzo, EcoWaste Coalition adviser, said the target will be a historic milestone in “our common mission to eliminate lead paint, a preventable source of childhood lead exposure, in all paint categories.”

"The world will be watching as the Philippine paint industry transitions to full lead-safe paint production by 2020, a meaningful achievement that we all can be proud of because of its tremendous benefits to human health as well as to the economy,” Calonzo said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to lead can cause damage to the central nervous system and is linked to decreased intelligence as measured by IQ tests, reduced school performance, and behavioral problems, including aggression and violence.

The Lead Paint Alliance (LPA), which is composed of the DENR, PAPM, Pacific Paint (Boysen), EcoWaste Coalition and IPEN, a global NGO network campaigning for a toxics-free future, among others, said the weathering, peeling or chipping of old lead paint releases lead into dust and soil, in and around homes, schools and other locations.

Dust contaminated with lead can also be brought into the home on the clothes of those who work in industries where such dust is generated, including paint factories where lead continues to be used, it added.

The LPA said health risks to children, pregnant women, and workers can be prevented by making and using paints with no lead additives and adhering to lead-safe work practices. —Mitchelle L. Palaubsanons/KBQ (FREEMAN)