At least 37 out of the 60 spray paint samples representing 16 brands that were tested by EcoWaste contained violative lead concentrations up to 97,100 ppm.
Don’t be fooled by “lead-free” labels on paint products, an environmental watchdog group has warned.
This, after at least 15 labels of paint products in aerosol cans, some of whom have “lead free” labels on their products, were found to still contain “shocking” levels of lead.
“We find it very disappointing to find more lead-containing spray paints being sold at retail stores and online shopping sites in violation of the CCO. These decorative paints, which are marketed for general use and are accessible to consumers, should have been phased out on December 31, 2016,” Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition, said.
The group made the statement as the globally-acclaimed Chemical Control Order (CCO) phasing out lead in all paint categories marked its eight anniversary last December 23.
Last June 29, the Philippines received the coveted Future Policy Award (special category for lead in paint) for being the first country in Southeast Asia to successfully implement a regulation toward lead-safe paint.
Promulgated in 2013 just before Christmas, the CCO issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) stipulates a maximum limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) for lead in paint, and sets a three-year period (2013-2016) to phase-out leaded decorative paints and a longer six-year period (2013-2019) for leaded industrial paints.
Both the EcoWaste Coalition and IPEN contributed to the development of the CCO and had been conducting lead paint studies, public information and policy advocacy activities in pursuit of the country’s shift to non-lead paint production backed by the Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers (PAPM).
“Violative” levels
At least 37 out of the 60 spray paint samples representing 16 brands that were tested by EcoWaste contained violative lead concentrations up to 97,100 ppm.
Of the 37 samples, 30 had extremely high lead concentrations in excess of 10,000 ppm, and of these 30 samples, 23 had lead above 40,000 ppm.
The remaining seven samples had lead levels between 428 to 4,850 ppm.
None of these leaded paints, which were mostly imported from China and Thailand, were manufactured by PAPM-affiliated companies.
Among the list of top 15 samples with the highest lead concentrations include:
1. Meng Qi Bo Shi Qi Pai Zidong Penqi (grass green), 97,100 ppm
2. Koby Spray Paint (medium yellow), 95,800 ppm
3. One Take Spray Paint (green), 88,900 ppm
4. King Sfon Aerosol Spray Paint (lemon yellow), 86,300 ppm
5. King Sfon Aerosol Spray Paint (orange red), 85,800 ppm
6. Sinag Paint Aerosol (lemon yellow), 85,800 ppm
7. Korona Spray Paint (yellow), 64,800 ppm
8. Haifei Spray Paint (light green), 64,000 ppm
9. Haifei Spray Paint (art yellow), 62,000 ppm
10. Silvestre Spray Paint (high temp yellow), 54,300 ppm
11. Meng Qi Bo Shi Qi Pai Zidong Penqi (lemon yellow), 51,900 ppm
12. Standard Aerosol Spray Paint (post green), 51,800 ppm
13. Korona Spray Paint (orange), 50,900 ppm
14. King Sfon Aerosol Spray Paint (yellow), 50,100 ppm
15. Standard Aerosol Spray Paint (deep yellow), 48,900 ppm
The lead-containing “Sinag” and “Korona” spray paint samples were marked “lead-free” or contained a pictogram indicating no Pb (the chemical symbol for lead).
Additionally, the group also found seven other leaded spray paints that it previously sent to the laboratory for lead content analysis still on sale in retail stores, including Best Drive Extreme One Spray Paint (deep green and lemon yellow), Koby Spray Paint (medium yellow), MKT Spray Paint (art yellow), MR. D.I.Y. Spray Paint (orange), Super 7 Spray Paint (yellow), and Yandy Spray Paint (grass green).
“Products labeled as ‘lead free’ when they are not give consumers a false assurance about a product’s lead content.This case of mislabeling points to the importance of third-party certification that will independently confirm compliance to the 90 ppm lead in paint standard,” EcoWaste said in its statement.
Tags: #EcoWasteCoalition, #toxicchemicals, #lead, #spraypaint