A new report released this week by IPEN, found that many decorative paints sold in more than 40 low- and middle-income countries where st...
A new report released this week by IPEN, found that many decorative paints sold in more than 40 low- and middle-income countries where studies have been conducted, contained dangerous levels of lead, sometimes in direct violation of national regulation.
Centre for Environment Justice and Development, an environmental NGO, in partnership with the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN), organised an education forum on impacts of lead exposure amongst children, at a local primary school in Nairobi as part of worldwide activities during International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action (ILPPWA), between October 23 and 29, 2016, co-led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Significant hazard
In a statement, Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health for the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, “Exposure to lead poses a significant hazard to human health, especially for children.
The best way to ensure the availability of lead-safe paint is for countries to put in place laws or mandatory standards that prohibit the manufacture, import, export, sale or use of lead paint.”
Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) joined global Alliance against leaded paints in November, 2015.
The body has developed two Standards, KS 2661-1:2016 Paints, varnishes and related products — Determination of total lead—Part 1: Preliminary examination of samples and sampling procedure and KS 2661-2:2016 Paints, varnishes and related products — Determination of total lead—Part 2: Maximum permissible content of total lead based on dry weight.
These standards will control the manufacture and Importation of leaded paints.
Past studies in the country, for example a 2012 paint content analysis study established that average lead concentration in paints in Kenya was 14,900 parts per million (ppm) way above US established 90 ppm for lead in decorative paints.
The strictest standard, 90 parts per million (ppm) total lead content in decorative paint, is common in many countries, including the Philippines, Nepal and the United States of America.
Several other countries, including Singapore and Sri Lanka, have a 600 ppm total lead standard.
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