Ecowaste warns vs. tumblers with high lead content

Environmental group Ecowaste Coalition on Thursday warned the public against using colorful tumblers that contain high lead content, according to a "24 Oras" report.  

“Ang isang obserbasyon namin kapag ka talaga siya ay pinturado o yung may pintura kadalasan meron itong lead o tingga sa tagalog,” said Aileen Lucero, the group's national coordinator. 

(Our one observation is that when it is painted, it usually has lead.)

The group has been campaigning for a long time to use reusable water bottles instead of single-use plastic bottles. 

In 2017, lead was banned in household paints in the Philippines because it is dangerous to health.

Ecowaste collected and tested 30 imported tumblers and other reusable bottles, and half of them failed.

Some colorful tumblers were found to have a lead content of 100,000 parts per million.

“‘Yan yung aming pinakamataas, ang limit lang kasi ay 90 parts per million,” said Lucero. 

(That's the highest, the limit is 90 parts per million.)

According to the report, most of its users are young people because of its enticing colors and designs.

“Kapag nahawakan at nagkaroon ng chips ng pintura paghawak niya sa kanin o sa tinapay ay puwede niyang ma-ingest kasi nagbabakbak over time kasi ngayon maganda siyang tingnan,” she added. 

(When a person touches the paint chips and then he touches food, there's a chance for the paint to get ingested.  The design looks good when new but the paint peels off over time.)

According to the Department of Health (DOH)- Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, because lead is a neurotoxin, it will likely have an impact on the brain with prolonged exposure.

“It can damage the brain nung bata, normally it will affect yung kaniyang mental development, mas mababa yung IQ niya and then posible din na magkaroon siya ng speech and hearing loss,” said Joselita Riego de Dios, officer-in-charge of the DOH Environmental and Occupational Health Division.

(It can damage the child's brain; normally, it will affect his mental development, his IQ will be lower, and then it is also possible that he will have speech and hearing loss.) —Sherylin Untalan/LDF, GMA Integrated News