EcoWaste Coalition: Do not buy lead contaminated crayons

MANILA, Philippines — The EcoWaste Coalition on Wednesday warned the public against crayons that are contaminated with high levels of lead.

The environmental group issued the warning after it found “Ultra Colours Crayons” having lead and other heavy metals.

The crayons were purchased at a department store on June 15 in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental. The Ecowaste Coalition added that the crayons were labeled as “non-toxic.”

However, 10 out of 32 crayon sticks were found to be with lead of between 126 to 13,700 parts per million (ppm) in excess of the tolerable 90 ppm.

“Children’s products such as toys and school supplies should contain no lead as this chemical is known to harm children’s health even in small amounts,” Ecowaste Coalition Chemical Safety Campaigner Thony Dizon said in a statement on Wednesday.

““While lead-containing paint and dust are the most common sources of lead poisoning in children, lead-containing crayons and other lead-containing objects in the home and school environment may also expose children to lead posing serious health concerns,” Dizon added.

According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), children who are exposed to lead can suffer from “neurological damage, delayed mental and physical development, attention and learning deficiencies, impairment of cognitive functions of the brain and hearing problems.”

The Department of Health earlier reminded the public to be mindful when buying school supplies as some of these may be tainted with toxic materials.  (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)

READ: DOH: Be cautious against toxic school supplies