QUEZON CITY — In an unprecedented move, the civil society and the paint industry of the Philippines stepped up their collaborative action to uphold the country’s all-encompassing prohibition against lead-containing paints in order to safeguard the health of children and other vulnerable populations against the harmful effects of lead exposure.
Coinciding with the 12th International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) on October 20 to 26, the EcoWaste Coalition, the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), and the Philippine Paint and Coatings Association, Inc. (PPCAI) have come out with a timely public notice to inform and alert paint retailers and consumers against foreign-sourced paints being sold in the market, including in online shopping platforms, that contain lead in brazen violation of the national lead paint ban.
The notice includes a listing of 150 paint products containing lead in excess of the maximum limit of 90 parts per million (ppm). Of these 150 leaded paints, 106 contain high concentrations of lead above 10,000 ppm. Moreover, 44 of these paints have lead levels ranging from 50,000 ppm to 212,000 ppm of which six products exceed 100,000 ppm. On top of it all, some of the highly tainted products deceptively carry the “No Pb” symbol or are marked “lead free.”
Below is the full text of the “Public Notice on Lead-Containing Paints”
Public Notice on Lead-Containing Paints
Manila, Philippines
The Ecological Waste Coalition of the Philippines, Inc. (EcoWaste Coalition), the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), and the Philippine Paint & Coatings Association, Inc. (PPCAI) jointly notify the general public, paint retailers and consumers in particular, about the unlawful importation, distribution, and sale of paint products containing high levels of lead in violation of the national lead paint standard and regulation.
Laboratory tests commissioned by the EcoWaste Coalition had confirmed the presence of lead in 150 aerosol spray paints at levels that will qualify the analyzed products as lead paints or paints containing lead in excess of 90 parts per million (ppm). The dried paint samples were analyzed by a global testing company at their accredited laboratories in Taiwan and the USA using Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The EcoWaste Coalition has duly informed the government about the test results indicating wanton disregard of the 90 ppm lead in paint limit. Product distributors with known contact information have been notified.
Based on test reports, the following 37 paint brands have one or more products containing lead above the legal limit of 90 ppm: Anton, Automatic, Bad Axe, Best Drive Extreme One, Boston, Chappie, Colorz, F1, Getsun, Greenfield, Haifei, Howar, JM, King Sfon, Koby, Korona, KRX, Meng Qi Bo Shi Qi Pai Zidong Penqi, MKT, MR. D.I.Y., Nikko, One Take, Parlux, RMC, RStar, Sanvo, Silvestre, Sinag, Standard, Super7, Tiger, Top Tibay, Veslee, Yandy, Yao Dong Bang, Yatibay, and Yestar Spray Paints.
These products are offered for sale in some paint centers, hardware stores, general merchandise shops, and online dealers, and some of them are falsely labeled as “lead free” or may carry the “No Pb” symbol.
None of the above paint brands are manufactured or distributed by member companies of the PPCAI, which fully support the mandatory transition to lead-safe paint manufacturing and the voluntary third-party Lead Safe Paint® Certification. PPCAI’s 27 affiliated paint manufacturers produce a wide selection of decorative and industrial paint products with no lead inputs and, to date, six companies have successfully passed the rigorous Lead Safe Paint® verification procedures performed by SCS Global Services, the certification body.
The specific products and their lead content can be found in Annex I, which can be accessed at https://www.ecowastecoalition.org/leadspraypaints/
For the information of all paint sellers and consumers, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order No. 2013-24 strictly prohibits the use of lead additives in the manufacture of paints and sets a maximum total lead content limit of 90 ppm in paints and other similar surface coatings. Also called the Chemical Control Order (CCO) for Lead and Lead Compounds, this directive, which also applies to manufacturers, importers, and distributors, phased out lead-containing decorative paints from 2013 to 2016, and lead-containing industrial paints from 2013 to 2019.
As partners of the government in the advocacy to ban all lead-containing paints–one of the most important and widespread sources of childhood lead exposure–we make this information publicly available to inform paint retailers on which products not to sell and guide paint consumers on which products not to buy in order to protect children and other vulnerable sectors such as women and workers from the adverse effects of exposure to lead, a known developmental neurotoxicant.
Children in particular are exposed when surfaces coated with lead paint deteriorate over time and contaminate household dust and soil. They are usually exposed to lead by ingesting contaminated dust or soil, or biting or chewing toys and other objects containing lead.
Early exposure in life can harmfully affect the brain and central nervous system, causing hearing, reading and learning difficulties, delays in speech and language development, impaired cognition, reduced intelligence, poor school performance, attention deficit disorder, aggression, and other behavioral problems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “there is no safe level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.”
To protect Filipino children and others who are susceptible to lead exposure and to uphold the globally-acclaimed CCO banning lead-containing paints, the EcoWaste Coalition, IPEN, and PPCAI appeal to:
1. Paint manufacturers in all countries to stop the use of lead-based raw materials;
2. Paint importers, distributors, and retailers require certificates of conformity with the 90 ppm total lead content limit from manufacturers and traders;
3. Paint stores only offer compliant and adequately labeled paint products; and
4. Paint consumers to discontinue the use of leaded products and to seek out lead-safe paints.
Our shared advocacy is an integral part of the multistakeholders’ collaborative initiative called the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (Lead Paint Alliance), which counts the PPCAI, IPEN and the EcoWaste Coalition, as well as the DENR, Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc. and the World Coatings Council, as partners in achieving the international goal of preventing children’s exposure to lead from paint and in minimizing occupational exposures to lead paint.
While some governments have adopted lead paint standards and regulations, most countries still lack legally binding controls on lead paint and paints with added lead continue to be produced, imported, sold and used, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Hence, the need for accelerated global and local action to eliminate such paints and protect human health.
Issued in October 2024 in time for the UN-backed International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, which seeks to draw attention to the health impacts of lead exposure, highlight efforts by countries and partners to prevent childhood lead exposure, and accelerate efforts to phase out the use of lead in paint across the globe.
