Ilang school supplies nakitaan ng 'toxic chemicals'

MANILA, Philippines — Balik eskwela uli ang sa mga nasa elementarya at hayskul ngayong Agosto — pero kasabay nito, natagpuan ng toxics watchdog group ang presensya ng "peligrosong kemikal" sa ilang ibinebentang school supplies.

Ayon sa EcoWaste Coalition, Miyerkules, napag-alaman nilang ibinebenta ang ilang water color sets na naglalaman ng mapaminsalang brominated flame retardant (BFR) chemicals.

"The use of recycled e-waste plastic in school supplies, toys and other consumer products provides a direct route of exposure to BFRs, especially among children," wika ni Aileen Lucero, national coordinator ng EcoWaste Coalition.

"Stringent control measures are required to halt the unregulated use of recycled plastic e-waste in the manufacture of consumer articles which spread BFRs into new products and into children’s hands, mouths and bodies."

Aniya, lumabas na 10 sa 20 water color sets ang nakitaan ng bromine mula 1,724 hanggang 6,527 parts per million (ppm). Ang naturang set, na may itim na plastic components, ay nakitaan din ng antimony na nagre-range mula 251 hanggang 1,125 ppm.

Binili ang mga sample noong ika-16 hanggang ika-21 ng Agosto sa presyong hindi tataas ng P60 kada set mula sa mga tindahan sa Makati, Manila, Marikina, Pasay, Pasig at Quezon City.

Sinuri ang mga nabanggit para sa bromite (na key component ng BFR) at antimony gamit ang xi-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer.

Ang detection ng bromine at antimony sa black plastic ng art materials ay isang pruweba ng posibleng paggamit ng recycled plastic mula sa electronic waste na naglalaman ng BFRs. 

Aniya, kalimitan itong nakukuha sa plastic casings ng mga telebisyon, computer, atbp. gadget na kadakasa'y itim. 

"While laboratory analysis is needed to identify the specific BFRs present in the products screened by the EcoWaste Coalition, the presence of bromine and antimony on watercolor sets that are not required to meet fire safety standards shows the inappropriate recycling of plastic e-waste with BFRs into consumer products, and the urgency of establishing a health- and environment-protective limits for POPs’ content in waste to ensure a non-toxic circular economy," ani Jitka Strakova, global researcher ng International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN).

BFR? Ano 'yun?

Ang mga BFR ay synthetic chemicals na ihinahalo sa consumer products para maiwasan o mapabagal ang pagkalat ng apoy at mabawasan ang tiyansa ng fire-related injury at damage.

Ayon sa US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), maaaring ma-expose ang mga tao sa nabanggit sa pamamagitan ng pagkakalunok ng kontaminadong pagkain, alikabok, tubig at sa sa pamamagitan ng skin exposure.

Kabilang sa mga negatibong epekto nito ang:

• endocrine at thyroid disruption
• immunotoxicity
• reproductive toxicity
• cancer
• negatibong epekto sa fetal and child development at neurobehavioral function

"Children are more vulnerable to toxic effects because their brains and other organs are still developing," dagdag ng NIEHS.

"Hand-to-mouth behavior and play that is close to the floor increases the potential of children to come in contact with harmful chemicals. Several studies demonstrate that exposure is higher in children than adults."