Toxic rain gear may endanger kids

With the start of the rainy season happening on the same month as the opening of classes, an environmental group has warned against raincoats, umbrellas and rain boots found to contain chemicals that pose health risks to children.

After testing 33 pieces of these rain protection gear bought from malls in Divisoria, Manila, the EcoWaste Coalition (EcoWaste) found out that 23 contain high levels of lead and cadmium.

“Parents need to pay attention to this health threat as children’s developing bodies are very vulnerable to chemical hazards,” Aileen Lucero, acting national coordinator of EcoWaste, said in a statement.

“There is simply no justification for brain-damaging and cancer-causing chemicals in products designed and marketed for children’s use,” she added.

Among the items analyzed were 25 raincoats, five umbrellas and three pairs of rain boots that the group bought on June 1 at prices ranging from P50 to P250 from 10 discount shops at 11/88 Shopping Mall, 168 Shopping Mall, 999 Shopping Mall and Tutuban Prime Block Mall.

Using an X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer, the watchdog detected excessive levels of lead (a brain toxicant) of up to 15,500 parts per million (ppm) and cadmium (a human carcinogen) in doses of up to 717 ppm in 23 of the 33 rain protection gear.

According to Lucero, lead and cadmium are inevitably discharged into the environment with the usual wear and tear and disposal of products. These are then absorbed into a child’s body via ingestion, inhalation or skin absorption.

EcoWaste said the World Health Organization had described lead as “a cumulative toxicant which affects multiple body systems, including the neurologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and renal systems.”

“Cadmium exerts toxic effects on the kidney, the skeletal and the respiratory systems, and is classified as a human carcinogen,” it added.

The group advised consumers to avoid items made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as these contain numerous toxic additives like cadmium and lead used as pigments or stabilizers.

It also advised parents to regularly check the condition of their children’s rain gear for any signs of wear and tear, and to frequently remind them to wash their hands thoroughly, especially before eating.

Of the 25 raincoats that were mostly made of PVC and featured favorite cartoon characters, 11 contained lead in levels ranging between 292 ppm and 15,500 ppm.

Meanwhile, 13 of the raincoats were found laced with cadmium with one containing up to 717 ppm.