Environmental group warns lead, cadmium present in some school supplies

With the school year set to open on August 22, environmental group EcoWaste Coalition on Saturday warned that toxic chemicals, including lead and cadmium that may affect the well-being of children, were present in some school supplies.

The EcoWaste Coalition, which pushes a chemical safety and zero waste campaign in schools, said it annually conducts a test buy of school supplies to examine whether the products contain chemicals harmful to children.

They purchased the products in retail stores in various areas including Manila, Quezon City, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, and Davao.

Using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzers, the group found that 38 out of the 85 school supply items contained harmful levels of lead and cadmium. The analyzed items include the following:

• painted metal clips and pins
• stainless water bottles
• cable winders
• graphic bookmarks
• lunch bags
• backpacks
• raincoats

"Lead is a very powerful neurotoxin, targeting the brain and the thinking of the person especially children," Environmental Health Specialist Dr. Geminn Louis Apostol said.

"While the children are still young and they are exposed to these chemicals that target their brains, it could possibly affect their thinking and intelligence."

Apostol added that the IQ of a person decreases by 0.25 to 0.5 for every one microgram per deciliter increase of lead in the blood.

Citing data from the World Health Organization, the EcoWaste Coalition said lead and cadmium were included in the 10 chemicals of public health concern.

The chemicals were also included in the priority chemicals list in the country.

The environmental group added that the school supplies allegedly did not contain information regarding their chemical compositions.

In a separate study, toxic phthalates, or plasticizers mixed with PVC plastic, were found in 31 out of 40 erasers.

The EcoWaste Coalition called on manufacturing industries to stop the use of dangerous chemicals in school supplies.

It also urged manufacturers to indicate the chemical contents on the labels of the products to serve as a warning to the public.

It also urged the passage of a law or regulation prohibiting dangerous chemicals in children's products. — DVM, GMA News