Some Cebu City retailers are still selling locally-manufactured water color sets recently banned by the government for containing high levels of lead, a chemical poison that can harm the brain.
The EcoWaste Coalition, a toxics watchdog group based in Quezon City, said it conducting test buys in 14 retail outlets in Cebu City last Sunday, June 15 and one of their purchases was the banned “Artex Fine Water Colors.”
“It’s unlawful to sell these lead-contaminated water colors. We therefore ask Cebu retailers to remove them from store shelves and return to the manufacturer for environmentally-sound disposal,” said Aileen Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.
“To ensure compliance, we request FDA’s field officers in the province to go store-hopping, confiscate the banned items and charge disobedient businessmen,” she said.
Lucero and the EcoWaste team were in town for the “Asian Lead Paint Elimination Project Workshop” held in Lapu-Lapu City last June 9-13 and the “Forum on Lead Paint Hazards and the Benefits of Lead Safe Procurement Policy” in Cebu City last Sunday.
Last May 29, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued Advisory No. 2014-044 recalling “Artex Fine Water Colors” after laboratory tests detected lead in excess of the maximum tolerable limit of 90 parts per million (ppm).
The FDA’s action stemmed from a complaint filed last April by the EcoWaste Coalition with the Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer Protection.
In Cebu City, the EcoWaste Coalition’s Alert Toxic Patrol managed to buy the banned water color sets for P40 to P64.95 at Best Buy Mart (Osmeña Blvd. cor. P. Gullas St.), La Nueva Supermart (Briones St.), La Nueva Supermart (Magallanes St) and Prince Hypermart (P. Burgos St.).
There were no “Artex Fine Water Colors” were found at Fooda Saversmart, Happy Mart, Kaking, King Long, Lucky 7 Supermart, Metro Department Store, National Book Store, Novo Asia Consumer, Unitop and Visayan Educational Supply. The group earlier reported buying the banned school art material in 3 retail shops in Lapu-Lapu City last June 14 for P40 to P59.75, specifically at La Nueva Supermart (De la Cerna St.), Marnikko School and Office Supplies (Martir St.) and Society Store (Stall No. 10) of the Public Market.
Lead is strictly prohibited in the production of school supplies and toys under the “Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds” issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in December 2013. According to “Childhood Lead Poisoning,” a publication of the World Health Organization (WHO), “lead exposure has profound and permanent adverse health effects on children.
It said “there is no safe level of exposure to lead.” “Delayed mental and physical development, learning difficulties, decreased intelligence, shortened attention span, hearing loss, and behavioral problems are among the major effects of lead exposure.”
Last June 14, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago filed Proposed Senate Resolution 700 asking “the proper Senate committee to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation,” explaining that “Congress and other concerned agencies should ensure that school supplies tainted with lead and other hazardous chemicals don’t reach the local market through more vigilant monitoring of commercial activities and stringent testing of these products.”/ EcoWaste Coalition
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