QUEZON CITY — In a bid to prevent potential incidents of lead exposure, especially among children, the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition urged retailers to stop selling reusable stainless steel water tumblers that are coated with leaded paints in violation of the country’s lead paint standards and regulations.
The group sought the withdrawal from the market of such water tumblers after detecting high levels of lead on the surface paints of three products that it recently purchased from retail stores in Quezon and Taguig Cities and from an online seller.
The group used an Olympus Vanta M-Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, a specialized handheld device that can identify and quantify elements such as heavy metals, to determine if the paint used is compliant with the law.
Lead in all paint categories cannot exceed the maximum limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) as per the Chemical Control Order (CCO) promulgated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to prevent and reduce lead-based paint hazards and protect public health.
According to the XRF screening results, the yellow paint of an 800 ml tumbler with Pikachu character contained 5.675 percent of 56,750 ppm of lead, way above the 90 ppm limit. The group obtained the tumbler from an online seller for P159.
The yellow paint of a 380 ml tumbler with the text “Tomotree Cafestyle” contained 52,710 ppm of lead. The group bought the tumbler for P175 from a retail store in Quezon City.
The yellow paint of an 800 ml tumbler with a Winnie the Pooh design contained 37,310 ppm of lead. The group purchased the tumbler for P250 from a retailer in Taguig City.
These reusable water tumblers, the EcoWaste Coalition warned, pose lead exposure risks as the lead-containing paint will wear out and chip over time with frequent use. Children who are not aware of the risks are exposed to lead when they handle or ingest peeling paint chips and dust containing lead.
As not all reusable water bottles in the market are safe from lead and other chemicals of concern, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the national government to assign an agency that will be responsible for regulating these products, including the withdrawal from the market of non-compliant products such as those coated with leaded paints.
Given that stainless steel tumblers sold locally are manufactured overseas, the group asked importers to only bring in products with verifiable certificates of conformity to the 90 ppm lead in paint limit, and for retailers, including online sellers, to demand such certificates from suppliers before putting any painted tumblers on sale. The group further insisted on mandatory labeling information to help consumers in making informed choices.
The EcoWaste Coalition has been monitoring the market, including online shopping platforms, for paints and painted products that are not compliant with the lead paint ban, noting that lead-containing paint is a major source of lead exposure globally, with children being the most affected.
According to the Partnership for a Lead-Free Future, “Children are exceptionally vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead poisoning, as their rapidly developing brains and bodies absorb lead at rates four to five times higher than adults. Even the lowest levels of lead in the bloodstream can cause irreversible damage. Lead exposure can cause serious health consequences, including neurological damage, reduced IQ, attention deficits, and behavioral problems. Even low blood lead levels have been linked to cognitive decline in children.”
As pointed out by the World Health Organization (WHO), “there is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.”
Reference:
https://chemical.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DAO-2013-24-CCO-Lead.pdf
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health
Health Impacts | Partnership for a lead-free future
