The Department of Health (DOH-7) supports the Ecowaste Coalition’s campaign against the use of paintbrushes which would be tainted with lead for food preparations.
Dr. Guy Perez, head of Health Facilities Development Section of DOH-7 said that they will have an information campaign to use alternative method to baste meats.
“For safer method then they should use alternatives like the banana leaves and lemon grass,” Perez told Cebu Daily News.
Perez is thankful to EcoWaste Coalition for its advocacy to protect the public from the hazards of lead paint.
EcoWaste Coalition is a national network of public interest groups pursuing sustainable and just solutions to waste, climate change and chemical issues.
Last week, the group examined 19 samples of paintbrushes that were bought from six hardware stores in Cebu City.
With the help of handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analytical device, the groups tested the paintbrushes for total lead content.
Out of 19 samples of paintbrushes, 16 were found to contain lead in the range of 309 parts per million (ppm) to 10,500 ppm, way above the US limit of 90 ppm for lead in paints and surface coatings.
Perez said they will stop the distribution of paintbrushes with high levels of lead in order to prevent food vendors and consumers from getting exposed.
As explained by the World Health Organization (WHO), lead is a toxic metal whose widespread use has caused extensive environmental contamination and health problems in many parts of the world.
It is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems, including the neurologic, hematologic, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal systems.
Children are particularly vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of lead, and even relatively low levels of exposure can cause serious and in some cases irreversible neurological damage.
Suzette Jabonete, information officer of DOH-7 admitted to Cebu Daily News that they don’t have a study on paintbrush with corresponding levels of lead content and they are thankful that Ecowaste Coalition conducted its own a study.
“We will also support their advocacy because it is also for the benefit of the public,” she explained.
She also urged the Cebu City Government on the ordinance’s strict implementation.
Since paintbrushes are cheap and are more durable, most barbecue vendors use these to baste meat.
Luding Revilleza, owner of Jam and James BBQ house, told Cebu Daily News yesterday that barbecue vendors should have been informed on the brands of paintbrushes that are hazardous.
With the information campaign incorporated in radio programs and media forums, Perez hopes the public will avoid such hazards./Mayfair D. dela Cerna, USJ-R Intern
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