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| Lead Paint Elimination Project Launched CEJ |
EU-funded Lead Paint Elimination Project Launched for a Better and Healthier Living for our Next Generation
The European Union (EU) funded IPEN Asian Lead Paint Elimination Project, launched a special event Yesterday, October 2nd 2012, at Gall Face Hotel in Colombo
03. The Project aims at eliminating lead in paint and raising widespread
awareness among business entrepreneurs and consumers about the adverse human
health impacts of lead-based decorative paints, particularly on the health of
children under six years old.
The project is being implemented in seven different countries
(Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand)
with a total EU funding of EUR 1.4 million over a period of three years by IPEN
- an international network with 700 participating organizations working in 116
countries that promotes safe chemical policies and practices aimed at
protecting human health and environment.
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| Dr.Ananda Jayalal of the Ministry of Health explained the health effects of Lead |
The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) will
implement this project through awareness programs, monitoring and advocacy. It
was a great achievement of CEJ to initiate a campaign on this matter in order
to bring up the mandatory standards for Lead level in paints, also will ensure
the success of this effort bringing paint market in Sri Lanka to be recognized
as Lead free globally.
Mr. Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of the CEJ said that obtaining
a MANDATORY LEAD PAINT STANDARDS is a victory of the born and unborn children
in Sri Lanka considering the serious health impacts cause by adding lead into
the paint. In 2009 CEJ found as high as 135,000 ppm of lead in some local
enamel paint brands where as the permissible limit will be 600 ppm starting
January 2013, he added.
Mr, Ali Sabry Attorney-of-Law, the senior counsel to the public interest
case filed by the CEJ said that this application was filed in the Supreme Court
in Sri Lanka to establish the right to life as a fundamental right of the
citizens, to bring the lead standards to decorative paints. He made a request
to the media and the other parties to help implementing these regulations by
making citizens aware.
Dr. Ananda Jayalal of the Ministry of Health explained the health effects
of Lead on human is serious and it heavily affect the IQ of the population
while high levels of lead accumulation in the body can even cause death.
Miss. Harshini Halangoda, the representative of the EU delegation to Sri
Lanka said that this project is a part of its Switch Asia project to deal with
the pollution caused by the production cycles of consumer goods.
Mr.
S.M. Werahara, Assistant Director, Ministry of Environment, said that elimination
of Lead and Mercury contamination is a priority to the Ministry. Ministry of
Environment Coordinated among other stakeholders and agreed the Consumer
Affairs Authority to gazette the Lead in paint standards produced by the Sri
Lanka Standards Institution, he said.
Mrs.
Wathsala Mudalige, Assistant Director, Sri Lanka Standard Institution,
aware the audience about the process of standardization and standards exists
for paints. Only 5 companies have
obtained the SLS standards for emulsion paint for interior and exterior use and
only two companies for enamel paints so far she added.
Mr.
Raja Hewabowita, President, Paint Manufacturers Association of Sri Lanka, made
clear that once the companies started to use the non-Leaded raw materials it
dropped down the Lead level in the final product drastically, but the quality
raw material is still a problem to make the Lead free paint. He claimed that
the lead level in paints manufactured by all 5 companies in the Paint
Manufacturers Association of Sri Lanka, is now very much below the new
permissible level which is 90 ppm.
Addressing
the gathering Mr. Gerald De Saram, Managing Director, Akzo
Nobel Paints Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, 5 Cs in business management which is
Commitment, Capability, Consistency, Continuity and Cost are very much
important, not only from the paint companies but the regulators and other
authorities in this case. He added that it is the social responsibility of
any company to protect its consumers and the environment. Referring to the new
paint standards he said he cannot understand why the Floor paint and Enamel
paint was given 600ppm compared to the 90 ppm for toy paints and emulsion
paints. “Children do bite toys, lick the
walls and walk on the floor so how come they have different standards?” he
asked.
Dr.
Champika Amarasinghe, Medical officer, National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health, explained on the Lead exposure among workers is a serious
health issue. Paint is not the only source of lead exposure, but lead acid
batteries and other sources. It must be made compulsory to wear personnel protectors
and better practices that avoid contamination in workers, she added
Participants
questioned how the regulated levels will be tested, whether the imported toys
from various countries will be tested as well. However, Consumer Affaires
Authority was not present at the meeting to respond to these queries.
Participants
also suggested it’s better to regulate paints and its raw materials at the
customs. Small and Medium manufactures present at the meeting wanted some technical
assistance to overcome some issues related to producing low lead paint.
The
Sri Lanka Customs in an official letter to share with the participants state
that there is no control on lead in paint in imported pant. However they will
fulfill the standards in the new regulations when it comes to force.
LEAD ELIMINATION – TWO
Lead is much more harmful to children than adults
and the health effects are often irreversible and can have a lifelong impact.
The World Health Organization included lead-caused mental retardation in its
2002 list of diseases. Recent World Health Organization guidelines now indicate
that there is no (zero) tolerable weekly intake for lead.
Lead affects health in numerable ways. Lead in the
body can cause problems in growth and development in children including
behavior problems, hearing problems, learning problems and slowed growth. Dust
and soil contaminated by lead in paint has been identified the most common
source of lead exposure especially for children and pregnant women.
In 2010, Centre for Environmental Justice in
collaboration with IPEN and the Indian NGO, Toxics Link, carried out a global
scientific study of “Lead in New Decorative Paints”. Altogether 10 countries
participated in this study. The findings revealed that, among tested enamel
paints in Sri Lanka, 69% exceeded the current standard of 600 ppm, The highest
content of lead was 137,325 ppm (14%), 1,526 times greater than the U.S. limit
of 90 ppm and 228 times greater than the Sri Lankan limit. Other samples also
contained 133,463 ppm, 55,237 ppm etc.
At the discussions made with all the stakeholders
including paint companies in November 2010, paint companies have agreed to reduce
the level of Lead in enamel paints to less than 90ppm and requested this to be
included in the SLSI specifications. Also the Sri Lanka Standard Institution
(SLSI) invited CEJ to take part in renewal of SLS (the standard certification
given by the SLSI) guidelines for paints. CEJ brought the matter to the Supreme
Court with a petition asking to reduce the lead level in paint in order to
protect children's health. As a result, the Consumer Affairs Authority made a
gazette notification establishing new standards for lead levels in paint to take
effect January 1, 2013.