Protect children from lead poisoning, govt urged

An ecological group urged the government to prioritize protecting children from lead poisoning, particularly that arising from paint products. EcoWaste Coalition made this appeal as the United Nations declared November 20 as Universal Children’s Day. "Reducing the health hazards posed by lead-added paint products should be a top priority for the government. By prioritizing action against this toxic threat, the Aquino presidency will be remembered in history for enabling a safer, lead-free environment where children, a highly vulnerable sector, can live, study and play," said Manny Calonzo, member of the EcoWaste Coalition steering committee. The group said children are extremely prone to ingesting lead-containing paint chips and dust because they explore their surroundings and tend to put their hands and objects like toys into their mouths. Such hand-to-mouth activities can cause lead and other substances of concern to be absorbed into their bodies and impede the development of vital organs like the brain. Lead and lead compounds have been banned in the US since 1977. These, however, are still added as anti-corrosive pigments and driers to architectural or household paint formulations by some paint manufacturers, EcoWaste Coalition said. A test commissioned by the group in 2010 to determine levels of lead in paint products sold locally showed 69 percent of the 35 samples were found to contain huge amounts of lead. One sample contained 161,700 parts per million (ppm) of the toxic metal—way above the US regulatory limit for lead in paint of 90 ppm. In July, EcoWaste Coalition also conducted a 'State of Toys Analysis.' The group found that 30 percent of the 200 locally available toys tested contained toxic metals such as lead, antimony and cadmium. The group also said the World Health Organization has ascertained there is no safe level of childhood lead exposure. EcoWaste Coalition cited a resolution adopted by the Asia-Pacific region at an international meeting on sound management of chemicals held in Belgrade, Serbia on November 15 to 18 affirming the health risks linked with lead exposure. Representatives of the Philippine government and civil society took part in the said meeting. “Childhood and occupational lead exposure may increase lifelong violent behavior, decrease intelligence as measured by intelligence quotient (IQ) scores, and also decrease school performance and educational achievement," the group quoted the resolution as saying. The resolution also encouraged concerned countries to prioritize actions to eradicate lead paints and to establish controls on paint used in products. Also, the meeting expressed support for an “International Lead Poisoning Prevention Day," with an initial focus on getting rid of lead in paints. Top manufacturers currently producing decorative paints containing lead can easily reformulate their products and produce, at a similar price, non-lead paints with similar colors and performance characteristics, the resolution noted. — KG, GMA News