(PHOTO: ECOWASTE)
Hazardous substances linked to cancer and hormonal disruption have been detected in campaign tarpaulins used in the recent elections, a toxics watchdog group revealed on Tuesday, July 1.
With this, the EcoWaste Coalition called for urgent regulatory action to address the widespread plastic contamination.
According to the toxics watchdog, all twelve PVC tarpaulins submitted for laboratory analysis tested positive for cadmium, a toxic metal banned in many countries.
The group said the results showed levels ranging from 219 to 736 parts per million (ppm), far above the European Union’s allowable limit of 100 ppm. Earlier screenings of 42 assorted tarpaulin samples using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device also detected cadmium levels above the safety threshold in all samples.
Aileen Lucero, the national coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition, said their investigation made the health threat impossible to ignore.
“The data generated from our investigation has made the invisible toxic chemicals in the widely used tarpaulins visible,” Lucero said.
“Decisive measures are needed to turn off the tap on toxic plastic production to prevent these harmful chemicals from contaminating our bodies, communities and the natural environment. We call on duty bearers, government regulators in particular, to support the calls for strong local and global regulations to reverse the plastic pollution crisis.”
EcoWaste said that laboratory results also showed that one of the tarpaulins contained 90,300 ppm of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, or DEHP, a plasticizer known to disrupt endocrine function. The European Union limits DEHP to 1,000 ppm. DEHP is associated with birth defects, reproductive harm, and increased cancer risk.
Environmental health specialist Dr. Geminn Louis Apostol, the officer-in-charge director of the Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation, stressed the urgency of taking action.
“We cannot continue to tolerate this toxic burden on our communities. The time for action is now—we need stronger regulations, safer alternatives, and immediate steps to end toxic plastic pollution before it causes irreversible harm to current and future generations,” Apostol said.
“The alarming levels of toxic chemicals we’ve detected in everyday plastic products represent a clear and present danger to public health and our environment. These hazardous chemicals don’t stay contained in plastic—they leach into our air, water, and food, accumulating in our bodies and ecosystems. Cadmium exposure is linked to kidney damage and cancer, while phthalates like DEHP disrupt hormonal systems and harm reproductive health, particularly threatening children’s development,” he stated.
Dr. Andreas Prevodnik, the senior Policy Advisor on Chemicals at the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), noted that cadmium use is tightly regulated in Europe.
“The data from the survey are concerning. In the EU, the use of cadmium in the majority of PVC products is prohibited under the REACH Regulation and the RoHS Directive. The few exemptions are strictly regulated, and tarpaulins are not one of them,” he said.
“Cadmium should not be in PVC products, because PVC plastics are often not separated and treated properly in many settings in low- and middle- income countries, which can lead to cadmium emissions from waste dumps and incineration. Moreover, cadmium is highly toxic.”