Baguio City/Quezon City– High levels of lead, a potent neurotoxin, have been discovered on children’s play equipment at famed Burnham Park in Baguio City. The painted play equipment sets contain dangerous amounts of lead that can pose a serious lead poisoning risk for young children.
The EcoWaste Coalition sounded the alarm over lead painted play equipment as the UN-backed International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action is observed from October 20-26 with focus on eliminating lead paint.
To mark the occasion, the group released an investigative report on the lead content of play equipment in 14 public playgrounds in 10 cities all over the Philippines, including Baguio City. A portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device was used to detect and quantify the lead content of the analyzed play equipment.
Through a letter sent today to the Office of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the group notified the city authorities about the results of the XRF screening conducted last October 18 on the 17 play equipment in Burnham Park.
According to the group, all 17 playground equipment analyzed contained total lead concentrations exceeding 90 parts per million (ppm), the regulatory limit set under DENR A.O. 2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds.
Fifteen of these 17 playground equipment contained lead levels above 10,000 ppm, with 11 of them containing extremely high levels of lead above 100,000 ppm.
The EcoWaste Coalition also reported finding paint chips scattered on the ground near some of the lead-coated play equipment.
“The high levels of lead detected on the paint of outdoor playground equipment are very worrisome and unacceptable. The paint will deteriorate with repeated use and exposure to sun and rain. This will cause the paint to peel and get into the dust and soil, which can be ingested by children through common hand-to-mouth behavior,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.
“Lead-containing dust and soil is the major pathway by which lead in paint contributes to children’s lead exposure, which can adversely affect their health throughout their lives,” confirmed Jeiel Guarino, Global Lead Paint Elimination Campaigner, IPEN, a global NGO network for a toxics-free future where the EcoWaste Coalition participates.
“The dangerous levels of lead detected on mostly old multi-coated play equipment should prompt the authorities into developing a strategy and action plan addressing the toxic legacy of lead paint, especially exposed lead paint in places where children live, study and play,” added Manny Calonzo, Adviser, EcoWaste Coalition.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “when used in homes, schools, and playgrounds, lead paint can be a source of lead exposure to children, who easily ingest dust, soil or paint chips by putting their hands in their mouths.”
“Lead is especially dangerous to children’s developing brains, and can cause reduced intelligence quotient (IQ) and attention span, impaired learning ability, and increased risk of behavioral problems,” the WHO said, stressing “there is no known level of lead exposure without harmful effects.”
The WHO has warned that “childhood lead exposure is estimated to contribute to about 600,000 new cases of children with intellectual disabilities every year.”
In line with DENR A.O. 2013-24, as well as DILG M.C. 2018-26 on the “Mandatory Use of Lead-Safe Paints by LGUs,” the EcoWaste Coalition urged Mayor Magalong and the City Council to consider the following actions:
1. Replace the lead-coated play equipment with lead-safe ones.
2. Augment the P20-million budget for the re-development of Burnham Park to include the procurement and installation costs for lead-safe play equipment.
3. Ensure that only lead-safe paints are used for the planned re-development of Burnham Park.
The group likewise recommended the adoption of a City Ordinance toward the mandatory procurement and use of lead-safe paints, especially for painting jobs paint out of public funds, similar to what Quezon City did in 2018.**
