Public urged to beware of ‘toxic’ water bottles

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MANILA, Philippines — The environmental group EcoWaste Coalition warned the public on Tuesday against dangerous levels of lead in some reusable water bottles and tumblers being sold online and at retail stores in parts of Metro Manila and Rizal province.

In a statement, the group said it based its warning on its analysis of 30 reusable steel water bottles and tumblers that it bought online and from stores in Caloocan, Manila, Quezon City in Metro Manila and Antipolo City and the municipality of Teresa in Rizal province.

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Of the 30 products, which were priced between P145 and P289 each, 15 were found to have lead in their exterior coating above the 90 parts per million (ppm) limit set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, EcoWaste said. Another 10 contained lead above 10,000 parts per million (ppm), while one product carried more than 100,000 ppm of lead.

Paint or the outer coating of these reusable water bottles and tumblers can chip over time, making the presence of lead dangerous as it can be digested, it added. The toxic chemical was detected using an X-ray fluorescence device.

Some of the products were also decorated with cartoon characters, implying that these were being marketed for children, the group said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “young children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning, as they may absorb up to four to five times as much lead as adults from an ingested dose.”

“Exposure to very high levels of lead can severely damage the brain and central nervous system causing coma, convulsions, and even death,” WHO said.