DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 26 Oct)—Environmental groups here warned the public against buying some brands of spray paints that contain high concentrations of lead that are being sold in some local establishments.
Lawyer Mark Peñalver, executive director of Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), said that they bought 15 spray paint samples from general merchandise and hardware stores on October 24 and 25 to be tested for lead content.
Based on the result of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) chemical screening, he said that five samples were found to contain high content of lead, a toxic chemical.
These are Parlux Spray Paint (canary yellow) with 48,930 ppm, Yestar Spray Paint (art yellow) with 29,150 ppm, Chappie Spray Paint (orange-red) with 12,490 ppm, Nikko Spray Paint (grass green) with 2,808 ppm, and Bad Axe Spray Paint (sky blue) with 2,618 ppm.
He said these are sold for P65 to P190 a canister.
Peñalver said selling aerosol paints with lead content is prohibited under the Chemical Control Order issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) banning lead-added paints and Davao City Ordinance No. 0461-18, prohibiting the “manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints with lead above the 90 ppm limit.”
He said they were shocked to find these aerosol paints on store shelves as if their sale and use are legal and safe.
Peñalver said that IDIS and EcoWaste Coalition urged local authorities to take immediate action to halt unlawful selling of products that threaten public health.
Manny Calonzo, campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition, said that the “all-purpose” paints are often marketed for use in a wide range of applications, including for decorating bicycles and toys, as well as household furniture and appliances, posing lead exposure risks to children.
According to the World Health Organization, the widespread use of lead, a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earth’s crust, has resulted in “extensive environmental contamination, human exposure and significant public health problems in many parts of the world.”
It said that lead exposure “can have serious consequences for the health of children.”
“At high levels of exposure to lead the brain and central nervous system can be severely damaged causing coma, convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with permanent intellectual disability and behavioral disorders,” the WHO said.
It added that lead can “affect children’s brain development, resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioral changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behavior, and reduced educational attainment.”
Other adverse health impacts of exposure to lead include “anemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs.”
It said that neurological and behavioral effects of lead are irreversible. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
