MANILA, Philippines - The environmental group EcoWaste Coalition has warned that the plastic tarpaulins widely used by political candidates in the recently-concluded elections may contain cadmium, a carcinogenic substance.
This developed after the group subjected 200 pieces of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tarpaulins collected from different polling and posting areas to chemical analysis using an x-ray fluorescence (XRF) device.
Results indicate total cadmium content up to 1,279 parts per million (ppm) in all the samples, while lead up to 1,704 ppm was detected in 51 samples.
“The results of our chemical analysis provide a valid basis for strong regulatory measures to curb the use of cadmium and lead in vinyl plastic materials such as tarpaulins, which can cause adverse effects to human health and the environment,†said Thony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect.
“The unregulated use of toxic additives in PVC tarpaulins creates a host of health and environmental concerns not only during their production and use, but also during their disposal; hence the need for strong regulations,†he added.
The group said these regulatory measures could include: the issuance by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) of chemical control orders that will ban the use of cadmium and lead as PVC stabilizers or pigments, require the use of safe alternatives, and ensure the environmentally sound disposal of waste PVC; the amendment of the Commission of Elections Resolution No. 9615 dated Jan. 15, 2013 that will make it mandatory on the part of political parties, candidates and other election stakeholders to use recyclable and environment-friendly campaign materials containing no hazardous chemicals; and the enactment of the Recyclable and Non-Toxic Campaign Materials Act by the 16th Congress that will make future elections safe from harmful campaign paraphernalia.
Cadmium is classified as “carcinogenic to humans†by the International Agency for Research on Cancer with inhalation as the main route exposure, the EcoWaste Coalition said.
Scientific studies have linked long-term exposure to cadmium to high blood pressure, age-related macular degeneration, and cancer of the breast, lung and kidney, which is considered the critical target organ for toxicity of cadmium in humans.
Cadmium is likewise known as an endocrine disrupting chemical contributing to reproductive disorders in men, causing genital deformities and affecting male virility.
According to experts, children’s developing bodies are especially vulnerable to damage from both lead and cadmium, but long term exposure even at relatively low levels can be hazardous to anyone.