BY PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter
MANILA – The Senate has been urged to investigate the reported proliferation of lead-contaminated water color products.
“Congress and other concerned agencies should ensure that school supplies tainted with lead and other hazardous chemicals do not reach the market,” said Iloilo City’s Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
Santiago said the government must closely monitor water color products sold to children.
Stringent testing of these products should also be done to determine their levels of toxic chemicals, the feisty Ilongga said.
Environmental advocacy group EcoWaste Coalition claimed water color sets with high levels of lead content were being sold on the streets of Manila.
These products contained lead from 5,900 to 37,000 parts per million of lead, EcoWaste said.
The safe limit of lead is only at 90 parts per million.
“Lead has the tenancy to accumulate slowly in the body when ingested over prolonged periods of time. The poisonous metal may be deposited in the bones and teeth, and can be found in the blood,” Santiago said in her resolution.
Lead poisoning causes nervous system toxicity and renal impairment, according to the lawmaker./PN
