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Chemical safety advocate EcoWaste Coalition has detected lead in a Thailand-made spray paint sold locally, bringing to 98 the number of such leaded paints in aerosol cans discovered by the toxics watchdog group.

In a press release, the group announced its discovery of Korona Spray Paint (grass green color) with lead content measured at 26,590 parts per million (ppm), way above the maximum 90 ppm limit as per the Chemical Control Order (CCO) for lead and lead compounds.  The group obtained the product for P85 from a retail store in the municipality of Pateros for 400 ml. can. 

The group used a portable Olympus Vanta M Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to determine the lead content of the said product manufactured in 2022.  It will expire after three years as indicated on the label. 

“We are deeply disappointed to find lead on some spray paints being sold in retail stores and online shopping platforms despite the ban on such paints,” said Manny Calonzo of the EcoWaste Coalition.

To recall, the DENR-issued CCO stipulated a phase-out period for lead-containing decorative and industrial paints that began in December 2013 and ended in December 2016 and December 2019, respectively.

“Strictly speaking, spray paints, which fit the decorative paint category, should have been lead-free by January 2017,” said Calonzo.

"Worst, some leaded spray paints like Korona misleadingly bear the no Pb (the chemical symbol for lead) pictogram," he pointed out.

Spray paints, which are easily accessible to consumers, are marketed to coat articles made of metal, wood, plastic, ceramic and other materials, fix scratches and minor damages in appliances, cars, motorcycles, bikes, toys and accessories, and decorate art and other school projects.

This is not the first time the EcoWaste Coalition detected lead on a supposedly lead-free Korona Spray Paint.

According to a report jointly published in 2022 by the group and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), laboratory tests confirmed the presence of lead in five other variants of Korona Spray Paint, including  rose pink (428 ppm), signal red (1,100 ppm), violet (1,200 ppm), orange (50,900 ppm), and yellow (64,800 ppm).

As stated  by the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (or the Lead Paint Alliance), a cooperative initiative co-led by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), “paints containing lead pose risks both in their application phase (as new paint) and once applied, giving rise to legacy issues that extend beyond the life of the painted surface due to chipping and deterioration or demolition of the painted surface.”

Exposure to lead, which is included in the WHO’s list of "ten chemicals of major public health concern," can cause serious health effects, including permanent damage to the brain and the nervous system, problems with kidney function, increased risk of high blood pressure, and reproductive disorders. 

“Lead can affect children’s brain development, resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment,” stated the WHO.

“There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects,” according to the WHO, stressing “lead exposure is preventable."

"To protect Filipinos, especially the children, women and workers, against lead exposure, the authorities should intensify the lead paint ban compliance monitoring efforts and hold violators accountable," the EcoWaste Coalition emphasized.  "Also, consumers need to be extra vigilant and insist that only lead-safe paints are offered for sale in the marketplace."

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Reference:

https://chemical.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DAO-2013-24-CCO-Lead.pdf

https://ipen.org/sites/default/files/documents/lead_paint_report.pdf

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health