In the lead up to World Consumer Rights Day on March 15, the toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition hit the panic button to alert consumers about a banned hazardous chemical on the yellow coating of some China-made non-stick frying pans sold locally.
While the pans are touted to be “PFOA free” as prominently shown on the label, no warning is given on the lead content of the bright yellow paint on the exterior of the cookware to inform and guide consumers (PFOA is an industrial chemical known as “carcinogenic to humans” and targeted for elimination under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants or POPs).
The group procured the 28 cm. and 20 cm. pans from the branches of a popular chain store in Manila and Quezon Cities for P388 and P279, respectively. The pans are “made in China” as written on the label.
Using an Olympus Vanta M-Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, the group detected lead on the yellow coating of the pans above the legal limit.
DENR Administrative Order No. 2013-24 banned lead in the production of paints and established a maximum limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) for paints used in decorative and industrial applications.
As per XRF screening results, the yellow paint on the 20 cm. frying pan contained lead up to 5,000 ppm, while that of the 28 cm. pan had 3,424 ppm lead.
On the other hand, lead was not detected on four other brightly painted frying pans, indicating that lead-safe industrial paints are available for use in decorating cookware.
The detection of lead paint on the two imported frying pans is a public health issue, the EcoWaste Coalition said.
Heating the lead-containing coating of the pan may release lead fumes, or extremely small particulates, which, if breathed in, can penetrate deep into the lungs, resulting in higher exposure, the group warned.
Also, the lead-containing paint of the pan will wear and chip with frequent use and scrubbing and may release lead in the dust, it added.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), children exposed to lead can suffer from lowered IQ, damage to the brain and nervous system, learning and behavioral difficulties, slowed growth, hearing problems, and headaches.
Adults can suffer from reproductive health problems (in both men and women), high blood pressure and hypertension, nerve disorders, memory and concentration problems, and muscle and joint pain, the EPA said.
As emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO), “there is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.”
To protect consumers from hazards to their health and safety and in line with the rights of consumers as recognized in Republic Act No. 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, as well as in the ASEAN High-Level Principles on Consumer Protection and the UN Guidelines for Consumer Protection, the EcoWaste Coalition urged duty-bearers to heed the following:
- For the manufacturers to switch to lead-safe industrial paints and to provide essential labeling information on their products to facilitate a sound choice;
- For the importers, distributors and retailers to require certificates of conformity with product safety standards and specifications from their suppliers; and
- For the regulatory agencies to ensure that non-compliant products are systematically withdrawn and removed from the market.
The EcoWaste Coalition has already notified the chain store where the non-compliant frying pans were purchased through an e-mail sent to its customer care department.
