Toxic school supplies for sale in Manila, Makati – group

MANILA, Philippines – Kids, parents and teachers doing back-to-school shopping have to be extra careful when buying school supplies: some of them may contain the toxic chemical lead.

Pollution watchdog EcoWaste Coalition found that some school supplies being sold in Manila and Makati – including backpacks, blackboards and coloring materials – had alarmingly high levels of lead.

The item with the highest levels, a pack of standard yellow thumbtacks, contained 140,000 parts per million (ppm) of lead. A backpack clocked in 120,000 ppm of lead. (READ: Toxic toys for sale in Manila)

These are way above the maximum concentration set by the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) for surface coatings of children’s products: 90 ppm.

The school items also go against a Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order prohibiting the use of lead in the manufacturing of school supplies.

Lead is heavily regulated because of the health impacts to people and animals exposed to it.

The chemical is particularly harmful to children because “their growing bodies absorb and keep more lead than adults do. The damage to their budding brains and nervous systems is often irreversible,” said pediatric toxicologist Dr Bessie Antonio.

Ironically, the lead-containing school supplies may lower children’s IQ and compromise their ability to perform well at school.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), lead “affects children’s brain development resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioral changes such as shortening of attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment.”

No level of exposure is safe

The items were purchased by the group from formal and informal shops in Divisoria and Quiapo, Manila and in Makati. Their prices range from P7.50 to P599.75. The group says the products were then examined for lead content by SGS, a global testing company.

Here are the lead content readings for each of the items:

Standard Office Plus yellow thumb tacks (P24.75) – 140,000 ppm

1. “Ronron” backpack (P100) – 120,000 ppm
2. “Princes” backpack with yellow zipper (P150) – 97,000 ppm
3. Yellow stainless steel vacuum flask (P100) – 78,000 ppm
4. “Artex Fine Water Colors” (P50) – 37,000 ppm
5. Blackboard (P35) – 32,000 ppm
6. “Luck” giant paper clip with Angry Bird decor (P7.50) – 16,000 ppm
7. Transparent backpack with orange zipper (P299) – 13,000 ppm
8. Creative Gear “Fashion Girl” backpack (P599.75) – 170 ppm

Tony Flores, a Divisoria vendor who sells backpacks similar to the ones tested for lead in terms of price and materials, admitted to Rappler that he and his fellow stall owners have no way of knowing if their products contain toxic chemicals.

“Binibili lang namin sa Chinese. Walang brand ang mga ito (We buy these from the Chinese. These aren’t branded.),” he said.

True enough, the products did not have proper product tags or labels listing down the materials used to manufacture them. 

Flores said he was unfamiliar with the effects of lead in products. 

Despite maximum levels set by international and local regulations, WHO emphasized that “there is no known level of lead exposure that is considered safe.”

Lower levels of exposure that do not cause obvious symptoms were previously considered safe, but new findings show that these levels still negatively impact different body systems.

How to stay safe

So how can consumers guard against lead-containing products?

EcoWaste Coalition gives the following tips:

1. Look for and read the product label carefully.
2. Avoid PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) school supplies, which may contain lead and other toxic additives. 
3. Refrain from buying products coated with paint unless certified “lead safe.”
4. Avoid buying products with a strong chemical smell.
5. Ask for receipt or any proof of purchase.

– Rappler.com