EcoWaste warns of lead in household paints

MANILA, Philippines - The paint you use in your house may be harmful to your health.

The environmental group EcoWaste Coalition issued this warning, saying some local paint companies are selling paints for household use that contain unsafe levels of lead.

In a new study it released, EcoWaste said it found that lead in majority of the paints analyzed exceeded the 90 parts per million (ppm) limit proposed under a draft Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds (CCO) prepared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. 

The report was released in observance of the first International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action (Oct. 20 to 26) and coincided with the country’s observance of Children’s Month and Consumer Welfare Month.

Lead is a heavy metal known for its neurotoxicity that causes reduced intelligence quotient, developmental delays, speech and language problems, and other health concerns.

According to EcoWaste, the lead levels in 75 of 122 household enamel paint samples (61 percent) representing 34 brands purchased from retailers in Metro Manila, Cebu City and Davao City and sent to a government-accredited private laboratory in Italy for testing, exceeded 90 ppm, which is also the US regulatory threshold for lead in paint and surface coatings.