MANILA, Philippines — A toxics watch group on Wednesday issued a warning to the public against using three paint products supposedly laced with lead.
Lead, the EcoWaste Coalition explained, is a “potent neurotoxin that has been banned in paint manufacturing.”
Despite the country’s lead paint regulation, the group said that they have found copious amounts of the neurotoxin in two Yatibay Acrylic Spray Paint products and one product from RMC Spray Paint.
EcoWaste said that they screened the products for lead using a handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzer and discovered that the deep yellow paint from Yatibay Acrylic contained over 100,000 parts per million (ppm) of lead, while the grass green paint of the same brand had 6,164 ppm of the toxin.
RMC Spray Paint’s grass green product, on the other hand, contained 43,470 ppm of lead.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order 2013-24 or the Chemical Control Order banning lead, paint and similar surface coatings should not contain lead above the maximum limit of 90 ppm.
“The two Yatibay paints, sold for P128 per 400 ml can, were manufactured on August 1, 2023, while the RMC paint, sold for P135, was made on May 14, 2020 — way past the phase-out deadline for lead-containing paints,” EcoWaste said in a statement.
READ: Lead still found in some paints – Ecowaste
The group was able to buy the lead-laden products online despite the ban on the paints taking effect on January 1, 2017.
“Exposure to lead early in life can result in lower intelligence quotient (IQ), inattentiveness, impaired learning ability, conduct disorder, aggression, and other behavioral problems,” it added, saying that it is particularly dangerous for children to be exposed to the neurotoxin.
READ: Prevent and reduce lead hazards in school makeovers
“Consumers, in particular, are reminded to always insist on their legally protected rights to product information and product safety, and to seek out and only use adequately labeled paints with no added lead,” the group continued.
READ: LGUs must use lead-safe paints, says DILG