Check Manila playgrounds for lead, councilor urges

MANILA, Philippines—A city official has called for an inspection and repair of Manila’s playgrounds, heeding an environmental watchdog’s recent discovery of high lead content in the paint on play equipment.

Numero Lim,  councilor of Manila’s 2nd district, on Thursday, filed a resolution with the city council calling for a lead hazard assessment on the city’s public playgrounds after EcoWaste Coalition tested the equipment paint in five playgrounds in Manila and discovered that 55 percent of their samples yielded lead levels up to 200,700 parts per million.

EcoWaste had tested the paint on 29 see-saws, monkey bars, and swings in Rizal Park Children’s Playground in Ermita, Plaza Azul, Quirino Ave., Pandacan, Plaza de la Virgen, West Zamora St., Pandacan and Dakota Playground, Adriatico St., Malate.

On Wednesday, they reported that 16 of the paint samples tested positive for lead content, far exceeding the 90-ppm safety limit.

“Why is the city allowing children to be in danger? The children may be having fun but they don’t know their playgrounds are toxic,” Lim said in a phone interview.

He said officials were either “unaware” of the toxic risks or scrimping because lead-free paint was more expensive.

“The lead levels found in some equipment are simply mind-blowing. Playgrounds should be safe from all sources of harm, including chemicals that can impair a child’s healthy development,” Lim said.