File photo from Ban Toxics Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — With days to go before the opening of classes nationwide on July 29, an environmental watchdog group urged parents on Wednesday to check their children’s school supplies for toxic chemicals as it released a study showing the dangerous levels of cadmium and lead in many back-to-school items.
An investigation conducted by EcoWaste Coalition from July 5 to 13 examined 110 school products ranging from water bottles to erasers that were purchased from retail stores in Metro Manila as well as online sellers and found a worrying trend of chemical contamination.
READ: Crackdown on toxic products
Aileen Lucero, the group’s national coordinator, said their findings showed that “toxic school supplies remain a public health issue that our society, consumers, regulators and educators in particular, should be concerned about.”
The group also noted deficiencies in product labeling and chemical safety. Of the 110 items examined, 60 had no labeling information while the rest were inadequately labeled. None of the samples provided information about chemicals in the products and 11 crayons lacked the crucial “nontoxic” mark.
Chemical screening likewise showed widespread contamination: 18 backpacks and lunch bags contained high levels of lead, with some also containing cadmium. A pouch bag’s zipper paint had an extreme lead concentration of 28, 230 parts per million (ppm) while stainless steel water bottles showed lead levels of up to 100,000 ppm in their coatings, both exceeding safety limits.
The findings were the same for plastic items like envelopes, folders, and notebook covers, and even raincoats, paperclips that contained dangerous levels of either cadmium or lead.
Stricter regulations
EcoWaste urged the government to impose stricter regulations, including a complete ban on hazardous chemicals in children’s products and mandatory ingredient labeling.
It advised parents to carefully read product labeling information and avoid PVC plastic, especially those with strong chemical smells. For plastic school supplies with a strong odor, place these in direct sunlight to help remove the smell.
It also offered more tips: Choose erasers marked “phthalate free” or “PVC-free” and avoid scented or food-shaped varieties.
For crayons, look for those with a “nontoxic” label. For water bottles, plain stainless steel options are recommended over painted ones, unless these are certified “lead safe.”