In a twist of irony, the raincoats that are supposed to protect schoolchildren from the rain may only be exposing them to more harm due to their lead content, an environmental group revealed Monday. In a blog post, the EcoWaste Coalition said raincoats tested by US-based scientist Dr. Joe DiGangi of the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) showed that many raincoats bought from Divisoria and Tutuban in Manila contained the brain-damaging neurological toxin. “Out of the 25 product samples we tested, lead was detected in 15 samples (60 percent) ranging from 96 parts per million (ppm) up to 14,100 ppm," reported Anthony Dizon, coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect. In the US, the limit for lead in consumer products is 90 ppm, according to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The group said it bought the samples from the 168 Mall, Tutuban Mall and adjacent retail stores in Divisoria last July 22. This was aside from the 435 children’s products from Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao City that the group had also analyzed for heavy metals, it added. Products tested positive Aside from raincoats, EcoWaste said lead, a hematologic (blood) and reproductive toxin, was detected in pencil cases, backpacks, shoulder bags, lunch bags and carry bags sold in these areas. The top five samples that registered the highest lead content include:
- a yellow PVC Tweety raincoat (14,100 ppm of lead)
- a light yellow PVC Tazmanian Devil raincoat (4,741 ppm)
- a green Spiderman backpack with lunch bag (2,852 ppm)
- a yellow Spongebob shoulder bag (2,478 ppm) and
- a yellow Spongebob pencil case (1,561 ppm).
Lead can damage or retard brain development and cause many health problems, including learning delays and disabilities, lower IQ scores and shorter attention span. Additionally, thirteen other school supplies were found to contain other toxic metals such as antimony, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium. These include a Spiderman backpack which had 1,064 ppm of antimony; a PVC raincoat with Tweety design with 278 ppm of arsenic; a pullbag with 287 ppm of cadmium; and a Mickey Mouse pencil case which had 4,026 ppm of chromium. Dizon said the low levels of lead found in some items does not necessarily mean they have no hazards to children's health. "Health experts have confirmed that there is no safe level of lead exposure, especially for children," he stressed.
Remove lead from products In analyzing the items, DiGangi used a portable device known as the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to screen them for toxic metals. The XRF is routinely used by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission in their regulatory functions. “The results of our probe should compel manufacturers to step up, remove chemicals of concern from their products and switch to non-toxic ingredients that will not jeopardize the health of children who are most vulnerable to toxins," DiGangi said. The IPEN scientist also noted that children are prone to toxic exposure because they breathe more air, consume more food and water, and are often exposed to harmful substances resulting from their common hand-to-mouth activities. He added that their vital organs and systems are still immature and developing, leaving them vulnerable to more diseases caused by such harmful elements.
Phase out lead Following the findings, EcoWaste put forward proposals to the industry to ensure that only safe school supplies are offered for sale and use by children: Manufacturers should immediately phase out lead and other toxic chemicals in the production process and shift to safer ingredients. Manufacturers should actively generate and disclose the chemical content of children’s products as a condition for sale in the Philippines. Manufacturers should facilitate and ensure consumers’ “right to know" about chemicals in products including adequate and truthful labeling to promote consumer choice. The group also urged wholesalers and retailers to insist on chemical content information from manufacturers and refuse to sell the products if the information is not provided.
—JMT/TJD, GMA News 
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