Pro-health and environment group EcoWaste Coalition has warned the public against spray paints containing excessive and dangerous amounts of lead that continue to be sold in the market despite an advisory from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The group made the call on Saturday after conducting test buys early this week of 10 spray paints worth P100 to P150 from motorcycle supplies and general merchandise stores in Manila and Pasay cities, and undergoing them under chemical screening.
Based on its assessment, all the 10 spray paints "were laden with lead above the regulatory limit of 90 ppm (parts per million) and are therefore illegal to import, distribute and sell in the local market."
"Worst, eight of the paint samples contained dangerous concentrations of lead above 10,000 ppm with one product containing a shockingly excessive 70,900 ppm of lead," Thony Dizon, EcoWaste Coalition's chemical safety campaigner, said in a statement.
According to the group, the following are spray paints containing dangerous amount of lead:
- Standard Aerosol Spray Paint (medium yellow) contained 70,900 ppm
- Koby Spray Paint (canary yellow) contained 42,800 ppm
- Koby Spray Paint (fresh green) contained 36,600 ppm
- King Sfon Spray Paint (orange red) contained 33,100 ppm
- Standard Aerosol Spray Paint (orange red) contained 31,300 ppm
- Standard Aerosol Spray Paint (orange yellow) contained 22,400 ppm
- Koby Spray Paint (Mars red) contained 14,300 ppm
- Koby Spray Paint (deep yellow) contained 13,900 ppm
- Koby Spray Paint (Suzuki red) contained 7,496ppm
- King Sfon Spray Paint (Honda red) contained 1,116 ppm
"Koby (canary yellow, fresh green and Suzuki red) and Standard (orange yellow) are included in the FDA list of banned spray paints as of 2020," the group said, adding that spray paints containing more than 90 ppm were prohibited by the national government to be sold and purchased through FDA Advisory No. 2020-1585.
Citing the World Health Organization, EcoWaste said exposure to excessive amounts of lead causes long-term harm in adults, including increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage. Exposure of pregnant women to high levels of lead can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and low birth weight.
The group is calling on authorities to ensure compliance of business establishments with FDA advisories and to go after erring manufacturers, importers and distributors in a bid to stop the illicit sale of lead-containing spray paints.