The Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis) and the Ecowaste Coalition have expressed their dismay over the sale of spray paints containing high levels of lead in Davao City.
Mark Penalver, executive director of Idis, expressed shock at the presence of aerosol paints with high lead concentrations on store shelves as if they were legally and safely acceptable for use.
"The sale of leaded spray paints goes against the DENR-issued Chemical Control Order banning lead-added paints, as well as Davao City Ordinance Number 0461-18, which, among other things, prohibit the manufacture, distribution, and sale of paints with lead above the 90 ppm limit," Penalver said.
Manny Alonzo, a campaigner for the Ecowaste Coalition, voiced concern about these products being promoted as versatile items for decorating toys, bicycles, household furniture, and appliances, which poses a significant risk to children.
"Children are highly vulnerable to the adverse effects of lead exposure such as damage to the brain and nervous system, developmental delays, hearing, and speech problems which can cause lower IQ, attention deficits, underperforming, at school and behavioral issues, " Alonzo said.
Architecture student Jona Jean Gigaquit, in a phone interview with SunStar Davao on Thursday afternoon, October 26, was also alarmed by the elevated lead levels in spray paints. She stressed how these paints are commonly used in spaces where people spend extended periods, like homes, workplaces, and vehicles, posing a major threat to their health.
"If mag tambay ang daghan na tao ana na space such as living room for an amount of time delikado gyud siya. Naay chances na mamatay gyud ang user if daghan amount sa lead na iya na langhap sa iya body. Ma-bata, tiguwang, batan-on bisan kinsa (If a lot of people spend time in a space, such as a living room, it is very dangerous. There is a chance that the user could die from inhaling the high amount of lead. Whether young or old, it poses a risk to everyone)," Gigaquit said.
A sampling conducted during the UN-backed International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week from October 22 to 28 revealed that some aerosol paints with lead content surpassing the 90 parts per million (ppm) limit were available for purchase in Davao City.
Out of the 15 sampled spray paints purchased from hardware and general merchandise stores from October 24 to 25, priced between P65 to P190 per can, five were found to contain lead.
According to the X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) chemical screening performed by the Ecowaste Coalition, these five spray paints contained lead levels ranging from 2,618 to 48,930 ppm.
Idis and the Ecowaste Coalition are urging the city government of Davao to promptly address the sale of these products in stores, as they pose a significant threat to the safety of Dabawenyos and the environment. RGP