Health and environmental group EcoWaste Coalition urged retail outlets nationwide Thursday to heed a government-issued health advisory against the distribution and sale of 37 spray paints containing high levels of lead, which is banned in the production of paints.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the Advisory No. 2020-1585 last Sept. 4 saying, "laboratory test results of 37 spray paint products showed that these products have exceeded the maximum limit of 90 parts per million (ppm)."
"We appeal to the country’s retail industry to desist from selling aerosol or spray paints containing lead additives in violation of the Chemical Control Order banning lead in the manufacture of paints," Ecowaste chemical safety campaigner Thony Dizon said.
He pointed out that these paints are easily accessible to consumers and are often promoted for general use such as a touch-up paint for cars and household appliances, a convenient stuff for sprucing up accessories and decors, and even as a material for school projects.
"Retailers, including online dealers, should heed the FDA’s advice at once or face sanctions for selling products not compliant to the country’s lead paint regulation," Dizon said.
Among the spray paints banned by the FDA due to their lead content include Anton (red), Colorz (green, red, yellow), JM (green, yellow), King Sfon (green), Klomonkey (green), Koby (green, red, yellow), Lotus (yellow), Mr. D.I.Y. (yellow), Parlux (green, red), PowerBon (green, red, yellow), Pylox (blue), RStar (green, yellow), Sinag (green, red, 2 yellows), Standard (green, 2 yellows), Supemova (Cream, yellow), Uni-Tech (green, orange, yellow), White Tiger (red), Yandy (green, yellow), and Yao Dong Bang (green).
EcoWaste and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) last July released the "Lead in Spray Paints for Consumer Use in the Philippines" report which revealed that 37 of the 87 analyzed spray paints obtained from retailers in 20 cities and one municipality failed the 90 ppm regulatory limit.
Worst, EcoWaste said, 29 of these 37 non-compliant products tested with dangerously high lead levels exceeding 10,000 ppm with one sample containing 82,100 ppm of lead.
Even products that bear the “No Pb” pictogram had lead ranging from 14,600 to 33,300 ppm (“Pb” is the chemical symbol for lead).
None of the 87 samples was locally produced by member companies of the Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers (PAPM), a partner of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint like the EcoWaste Coalition, IPEN, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.