Instead of stimulating creativity, some crayons and pencils may even end up stunting or damaging your child’s brain development.
An environmental watchdog has found mercury in several crayons and pencils featuring cartoon characters which it bought from vendors in Divisoria, Quiapo and Sta. Cruz in Manila.
In a statement, EcoWaste Coalition said that children should be able to draw and write without being exposed to extremely toxic chemicals. The group conducted tests on the products last week with the use of an x-ray fluorescence device.
Of 22 crayon sets, 18 had mercury levels exceeding the allowable limit of 20 parts per million (ppm) under the Philippine National Standards (PNS) for the safety of toys. Among the different colors, purple or violet was found to have the highest level of the toxin at 307 ppm.
In addition, 38 out of 44 pencil samples sold in the area showed traces of mercury. “While not exceeding the PNS limit, the amounts of mercury on the ferrules that children often chew on were above the regulatory limits of the compound in fish and in cosmetics,” Ecowaste said, adding that the regulatory limit of mercury in fish was 0.5 ppm while that of cosmetics was 1 ppm.
EcoWaste acting national coordinator Aileen Lucero said: “We find it disturbing that mercury, a potent neurotoxin, is present in crayons and pencils that children often put in their mouths, a most prevalent route for mercury intake.”
‘No level of mercury is safe’
She pointed out that while the amount of mercury found in the samples may be considered small, “no level of mercury is safe, especially for children whose developing brains and other vital organs are most vulnerable to the toxic effects of mercury.”
Lucero added: “All products meant for use in learning or playing by children should be entirely safe from mercury and other hazards. It is important to eradicate all contributors to childhood exposure to mercury.”
She explained that mercury tends to accumulate in the human body, particularly in the brain, liver and kidneys. It could either be ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
In tests conducted on 22 crayon sets bought from seven stores in three malls in the Divisoria district, 18 were found to be tainted with mercury, with the content ranging between 22 and 307 ppm.
While seven of the samples were marked “nontoxic,” three sets contained 22 ppm, 28 ppm and 251 ppm of mercury, “indicating that not all ‘nontoxic’ claims should be taken at face value,” EcoWaste said.
Only one of the crayon sets which were found to have mercury provided complete information about the manufacturer or distributor, including contact details, on its label.
On the other hand, out of 44 pencil samples bought from stores in two malls in Divisoria as well as shops in the Quiapo and Sta. Cruz areas, 38 were found to have between 6 ppm to 16 ppm of mercury, specifically on the ferrules or the metal rings holding the erasers in place.
The group found low levels of lead in half the samples. But two of the pencils tested positive for the toxic ingredient in levels way above the US limit of 90 ppm. One pencil had 324 ppm of lead on its body while the other had 340 ppm of lead on its ferrule.
Ecowaste chemist Jeiel Guarino called on authorities to strictly regulate mercury content in toys and other children’s products. “Regulators should consider revising the current threshold for mercury in toys and related children’s products which is too weak to adequately protect the health of the Filipino child,” he said.
“Children often bite into and chew on toys and related products such as crayons and pencils, so mercury as an additive or an impurity should not be present at all in articles that may get on their hands and mouths,” he added.