Warning Aired on Unlawful Sale of Lead-Containing Spray Paints

The EcoWaste Coalition has reminded consumers to be careful in choosing paints in aerosol cans as some of them may contain dangerous levels of lead, a toxic substance that can harm human health.

The warning came on the heels of the group’s discovery of imported spray paints laden with high concentrations of lead in violation of DENR A.O. 2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds, which has phased out the use of lead in the manufacture of paints.

Today, July 10, the group will release the results of its joint study with the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) providing evidence that many spray paints being sold in the local market for consumer or general use contain high concentrations of lead.

Of the 87 spray paints analyzed, 37 samples representing 19 brands were found to contain lead above the maximum regulatory limit of 90 parts per million (ppm), of which 29 had dangerously high lead concentrations exceeding 10,000 ppm. One sample with no labeling information about its manufacturer or country of origin tested with a whopping 82,100 ppm of lead. The laboratory analyses were performed by SGS Philippines.

None of the spray paints analyzed in the study was produced by any of the 25 paint companies belonging to the Philippine Association of Paint Manufacturers (PAPM), an industry partner of the UN-backed Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint.

“The importation, distribution and sale of lead-containing spray paints goes against the government’s policy of phasing out lead in all types of paints to safeguard public health and the environment,” stated Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.

The EcoWaste Coalition underlined the need for improved compliance monitoring and for consumer vigilance to stop the sale of lead-containing spray paints that are often used for touching up scratches in cars, furniture or appliances, for re-coating home accessories and decors, and for coloring school projects.

“Retail outlets should immediately remove such non-compliant spray paints from store shelves and return them to their suppliers who should assume full responsibility for their environmentally-sound management and disposal,” Dizon said.

Lead in paint is a major source of childhood lead exposure, which can harm the brain and the central nervous system, among other effects. “There is no safe level of lead exposure,” according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has listed lead among the “ten chemicals of major public health concern.”

Lead exposure is especially dangerous to children’s development and can result in lower intelligence quotient (IQ), reduced attention span, impaired learning ability and increased risk of behavioral problems.

To recall, DENR A.O. 2013-24 established a total lead content limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) for all paints and provided for a six-year phase-out period for paints with added lead that ended in December 2019.*