Health and environment protection advocacy group EcoWaste Coalition has called for the removal of school supplies that allegedly contain hazardous chemicals from the market.
EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero issued the call after their investigation revealed that some school supplies contain toxic chemicals that include lead and cadmium.
The investigation a test buy of 110 assorted types of school supplies and accessories obtained from retail stores in Caloocan, Makati, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Pasay, Taguig, and Quezon City.
"To protect our children’s health, we need to impose a full ban on hazardous chemicals in school supplies and other children’s products, and we need to make it mandatory for the chemical ingredients of a product to be clearly marked on the packaging, starting with products marketed for children’s use, such as school supplies and toys," Lucero said.
An expert also warned that exposure to harmful chemicals has a great impact on kids as their brains and organs are not fully developed yet.
"Children are most vulnerable to environmental toxicants because they breathe more air, drink more water and consume more food in proportion to their body weight and because their bodily systems and defenses are still developing. Children’s hand-mouth and hand-object behavior further contributes to increased exposures to these toxicants, which may affect a child’s development and even her or his health later in life,” said Geminn Louis Apostol of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health.
The products that were bought by the group were subjected to screening for heavy metals using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, which is used for quick and non-destructive elemental analysis.
The group found that 60 of the products were unlabeled, providing zero information on essential matters of interest to consumers, such as the product’s name, manufacturer and country of origin, local distributor, usage instructions, ingredients, and hazard warnings.
"Eleven crayons do not have the “non-toxic” mark, which signals conformity to government-set toxicity limits," it added.
Some of the items found with high concentrations of these toxic chemicals include backpacks and lunch bags with 168 to 2,224 ppm lead; pouch bags with 28, 230 ppm lead; painted stainless steel water bottles with 3,220 to 100,000 ppm lead; plastic envelopes, folders, and notebooks with 130 to 330 ppm lead; rain coats with 282 to 337 ppm lead; and vinyl-coated paper clips with 6,740 to 30,710 ppm lead.
Lead and cadmium, classified by the World Health Organization as "10 chemicals of major public health concern," are listed in the Philippines' "Priority Chemical List."
This list, maintained by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, identifies chemicals posing potential risks to public health, workplaces, and the environment.
In addition, seven erasers recently tested were found to be made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, which can contain harmful phthalates. These chemicals may leach into food, indoor air, or children's mouths when they chew or suck on PVC-based school supplies.
To minimize children's exposure to hazardous chemicals in school supplies, EcoWaste advises parents to seek complete product information, including chemical composition details. They should avoid products with strong chemical odors or labelled with terms like "PVC," "vinyl," "V," or marked with recycling symbol number "3." Moreover, products with painted surfaces should only be chosen if certified as lead-safe.