Enamel Paint in Bangladesh
Lead levels very high
Study says
Many enamel paints available in Bangladesh’s markets have levels of lead far exceeding the permissible limits in most industrialised countries, stated a study revealed yesterday.
The use of lead in paint is banned in the European Union, the permissible limit in the US is 90 parts per million (ppm) while there is no government regulation on the matter in Bangladesh, it said.
Painted surfaces deteriorate over time, causing the lead to contaminate the air. When breathed in, lead toxicity can damage almost every organ and is especially dangerous to young children, particularly those under the age of six, even at low levels as it can cause mental retardation, attention disorders and lower IQ.
Titled “National Report: Lead in Enamel Household Paints of Bangladesh”, the study was revealed in the capital’s Women’s Voluntary Association auditorium.
Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO) conducted the study as part of an EU “Lead Paint Elimination Project” it is implementing in Bangladesh.
Analysing 90 cans of enamel paints of 34 brands, the study found that about 64 percent of the samples had lead concentration levels that are not acceptable in most industrialised countries. The maximum amount to be found was 123,000ppm.
However, five of the brands had lead levels within the permissible level, it added.
Presiding over the event, ESDO Chairperson Syed
Many enamel paints available in Bangladesh’s markets have levels of lead far exceeding the permissible limits in most industrialised countries, stated a study revealed yesterday.
The use of lead in paint is banned in the European Union, the permissible limit in the US is 90 parts per million (ppm) while there is no government regulation on the matter in Bangladesh, it said.
Painted surfaces deteriorate over time, causing the lead to contaminate the air. When breathed in, lead toxicity can damage almost every organ and is especially dangerous to young children, particularly those under the age of six, even at low levels as it can cause mental retardation, attention disorders and lower IQ.
Titled “National Report: Lead in Enamel Household Paints of Bangladesh”, the study was revealed in the capital’s Women’s Voluntary Association auditorium.
Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO) conducted the study as part of an EU “Lead Paint Elimination Project” it is implementing in Bangladesh.
Analysing 90 cans of enamel paints of 34 brands, the study found that about 64 percent of the samples had lead concentration levels that are not acceptable in most industrialised countries. The maximum amount to be found was 123,000ppm.
However, five of the brands had lead levels within the permissible level, it added.
Presiding over the event, ESDO Chairperson Syed Marghub Murshed said, “While many paint manufacturers have extended their support for our initiative to make the paints lead-free, legislative action is needed in the matter.”
-With The Daily Star input
