Chinese New Year Warning: Watch Out for Toxic Piggy Banks and Decors
With lead content
A waste and pollution watch group has advised consumers
to be cautious of lead-glazed or lead-painted piggy banks and pig-inspired
decorations as the Chinese New Year is celebrated starting Wednesday, 5
February.
The EcoWaste Coalition made the warning after detecting
high concentrations of lead in three out of 10 pig-inspired coin containers and
related adornments to welcome the year of the earth pig, the 12th of the
Chinese zodiac animals.
“Lead-tainted ceramic piggy banks and related decors
could end up in the hands of curious children who love to play with colorful
and nice-looking figures,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner,
EcoWaste Coalition.
“Lead exposure may occur if the product is broken or if
its surface is chipped or corroded,” he pointed out.
As part of the group’s campaign for a toxics-free
Philippines, the EcoWaste Coalition last week bought 10 pig-inspired items
costing P35 to P200 each from retailers in Makati, Manila and Quezon Cities.
Based on chemical screening using a portable X-Ray
Fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer, three ceramic samples were found to contain
3,090, 4,929 and 5,042 parts per million (ppm) of lead, respectively.
Lead maybe attributed to the glaze used to give the
products glasslike or smooth finish or to the colorful coatings used.
With low or non-detectable lead content
All the sampled products had no labels, and provided no
information about their chemical composition.
“As safer substitutes are available on the market, we
advise consumers to stay away from products containing lead,” Dizon said.
“Not patronizing lead-containing products sends a clear
message to the industry that consumers nowadays prefer safer products that will
not put the health of children at risk,” he stated.
“We also do not want any of the broken, chipped or
corroded piggy banks and Chinese New Year decorations to add to the toxicity of
our household waste,” he added.
Lead, a highly toxic substance can affect people of all
ages, and can harm children and unborn babies at much lower levels of exposure,
the group warned. As a cumulative
toxicant, lead builds up in the body, so even small quantities can pose a
health hazard over time, it added.
Long-term effects of lead exposure include, among other
things, mental retardation and other learning disabilities, language, speech
and hearing disorders, attention deficit and other mental problems, aggression
and other behavioral challenges.
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