Warning Out on More Painted Reusable Water Bottles with High Lead Content
16 September 2024, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition is again reminding consumers to assert their right to product information and safety after detecting high concentrations of lead in more reusable stainless steel water tumblers that are coated with lead-containing paints.
While reusable stainless steel water bottles are beneficial in reducing the consumption of single-use plastic water bottles, their manufacturers must ensure strict compliance to the country’s lead paint standard, which limits lead to not more than 90 parts per million (ppm), the EcoWaste Coalition emphasized.
The group issued the reminder following the detection of lead ranging from 9,150 ppm to 14,570 ppm on the exterior paints of three water tumblers that it purchased from retail stores located in Antipolo City; Teresa, Rizal; and Binondo, Manila.
- A peach-color water bottle costing P189 contained 14,570 ppm of lead. The item has zero labeling information.
- The yellow paint on a vacuum bottle bought for P170 contained 10,590 ppm of lead. The product is inadequately labeled with no manufacturer’s or distributor’s markings.
- A yellow water tumbler with an insulation cup bought for P145 contained 9,150 ppm of lead. The product’s labeling information is written in Chinese characters.
The group employed a point-and-shoot X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to screen the samples for lead content without scraping the paints.
The discovery of the above leaded products will bring to 15 the number of such reusable water containers found by the group during the last two months with paints containing lead above the regulatory limit of 90 ppm.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order No. 2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order (CCO) for lead and its compounds, phased out lead containing decorative and industrial paints in December 2016 and December 2019, respectively.
The Environmental Management Bureau, which is under the DENR, issued Memorandum Circular No. 2016-010 affirming the mandatory use of paints without added lead in the manufacture of toys and related children’s products after the said phase-out deadline for lead-containing decorative paints in 2016.
According to the EcoWaste Coalition, the presence of lead on the surface coatings of the analyzed water bottles is very disturbing as the leaded paint will break over time with repeated use. The lead on the paint may end up being ingested by the user, especially by a child who is unaware of the health risk. Lead is toxic if ingested and can cause adverse health problems.
As a precaution against potential lead exposure, the group advised consumers to opt for duly labeled and unpainted reusable water bottles. If painted ones are preferred, consumers should demand for assurance that the paints used are compliant with the 90 ppm limit for lead in paints and similar surface coatings.
The group further urged the government to pinpoint which agency should be responsible in ensuring that reusable water bottles conform to the lead paint limit and other applicable standards, and in removing violative products off the store shelves.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), “lead is a highly poisonous element that is responsible for nearly 1.5 per cent of annual global deaths – almost as many deaths as from HIV and AIDS, and more than from malaria.”
“Lead affects a child’s developing brain, causing decreased intelligence, behavioral disorders and learning problems which can reduce potential earnings in adulthood. It also affects almost every organ in a child’s body, including the heart, lungs and kidneys,” the UNICEF pointed out.
https://chemical.emb.gov.ph/
https://chemical.emb.gov.ph/
https://www.unicef.org/
Comments