TOXIC CHEMICAL ALERT UP IN SCHOOL SUPPLIES

ENVIRONMENTAL health group EcoWaste Coalition on Saturday warned the public that some school supplies carry hazardous chemicals.

EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero said that in time for the opening of face-to-face classes on August 22, the group gathered an assortment of 85 school supplies from various retailers in Manila, Quezon City, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Iligan City and Lipa City from June 4 to July 9 for heavy metals screening.

Of the 85 samples subjected to X-ray fluorescence analyzer, 38 tested positive for lead and cadmium above levels of concern.

“Our recent market investigation shows that school supplies and accessories made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or vinyl plastic and those coated with paint may contain toxic cadmium and lead, and are sold with no warning labels,” Lucero said.

She added that 31 of the 40 eraser samples sent by the EcoWaste Coalition and the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability to the Wonjin Institute of Occupational and Environmental Health in South Korea for laboratory analysis were found to contain toxic phthalates, including Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, a probable human carcinogen.

“Lead and cadmium belong to the World Health Organization’s list of 10 chemicals of major public health concern. These hazardous substances are also included in the country’s Priority Chemical List consisting of chemicals which the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has established to potentially pose unreasonable risk to public health, workplace and the environment,” Lucero said.

Dr. Geminn Louis Apostol of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health said children’s exposure to lead, cadmium and other hazardous chemicals like phthalates in PVC plastic school supplies, even in low doses, must be avoided as these substances are known to cause harmful health effects.

“Young children are at greater risk of exposure to these toxicants compared to adults because their brains and organs are not yet fully developed and they tend to put objects into their mouths. Exposure to lead, in particular, can damage a child’s brain and nervous system, slow growth and development, and cause learning, speaking and hearing difficulties and behavioral problems,” Apostol said.