Lead in household paint �silent poison�

Experts yesterday termed the presence of lead in household paint as “silent poison” and called for formulation of a new and appropriate act to check high levels of lead in a majority of paint brands in the country. They demanded that the use of lead in paint be stopped in Bangladesh by 2017.
They, along with industry stakeholders, were part of a “high level policy dialogue on lead-free paint in Bangladesh” organised by Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO) as part of the annual “International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week” observed by Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead in Paint (GAELP). The dialogue aimed at setting up an immediate standard of 50 ppm by 2015 and complete elimination of lead in paint by 2017.
Speaking on the occasion, ESDO Chairperson Syed Marghub Murshed said, “We must provide our children with a pollution-free environment for ensuring sound growth and development. As a result of continuous policy advocacy of ESDO, several large and medium companies in Bangladesh have recently started manufacturing and selling lead-free paints.”
“After ESDO, the government should now come forward and prepare a regulation to eliminate the use of lead in paints by 2017 and set up the immediate standard of 50 ppm by 2015,” he urged.
BPMA Vice President and Engineer Abdur Rahman said, “SMEs and MNCs have already confirmed to BPMA that they will soon stop adding or using lead. However, it is high time that the government and the act strictly eliminate lead in paint through setting a standard of 50 ppm.”
World Health Organization (WHO) representative Shamsul Gafur Mahmud lauded the initiative and said, “It is possible for manufacturers to go lead-free. The government can accelerate this by setting a standard for concentration of lead.”
Deputy Director of BSTI Jahora Sikder said, “BSTI welcomes ESDO’s multi-dimensional activities towards creating a lead-free Bangladesh. BSTI is working to set 50 ppm as lead limiting standard in paints in the country. We hope by the end of this year, we will be able to do it.”
ESDO Secretary General and UNEP Mercury Specialist Dr. Shahriar Hossain said, “Children are mostly vulnerable to lead poisoning. Developed countries have already banned lead. To ban lead in Bangladesh, ESDO has been working with relevant ministries since 2009.”
Executive Director of ESDO Siddika Sultana said, “It is the paint manufacturers in Bangladesh which helped ESDO’s lead elimination initiative to come this far. ESDO hopes that the government will also immediately take proper steps to ban lead in paint.”
Siddika expressed gratitude to everyone from BSTI, DoE and BPMA who made the dialogue a success. Top officials from Berger Paints, Moon Star Paints, RAK Paint, Asian Paints, Anchor Paint, Elite Paints, Nippon Paints and Imperial Paints Ltd were also present at the occasion.
The dialogue assumes significance in the wake of a recent ESDO study which found 19 out of 22 paint brands sold in the country to carry dangerously high levels of lead. The study revealed that five brands sold paints with lead levels below 90 ppm while 7 brands constituting 85 per cent of the paint market sold paints with lead levels below 600 ppm. The survey showed the number of paints with lead levels below 90 ppm to have increased vis-à-vis the last study conducted in 2012-13. The 2012-13 report had found five paint brands including market leaders Berger and Asian Paints containing less than 90 ppm lead and nearly two-thirds of paints having lead concentrations above 600 ppm.
ESDO, since 2009, has been working towards eliminating lead in paints through public awareness and policy advocacy. Since 2012, the organisation has been working towards implementing “Lead Paint Elimination” project in the country in association with the European Union (EU) and International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN). The Bangladesh Paint Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has joined this venture with ESDO in 2013. Courtesy such initiatives, some large and medium paint manufacturers have already started selling lead-free paints.

Lead in household paint �silent poison�

Experts yesterday termed the presence of lead in household paint as silent poison and called for formulation of a new and appropriate act to check high levels of lead in a majority of paint brands in the country. They demanded that the use of lead in paint be stopped in Bangladesh by 2017. They, along with industry stakeholders, were part of a high level policy dialogue on lead-free paint in Bangladesh organised by Environment and Social Development Organisation (ESDO) as part of the annual International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week observed by Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead in Paint (GAELP). The dialogue aimed at setting up an immediate standard of 50 ppm by 2015 and complete elimination of lead in paint by 2017. Speaking on the occasion, ESDO Chairperson Syed Marghub Murshed said, We must provide our children with a pollution-free environment for ensuring sound growth and development. As a result of continuous policy advocacy of ESDO, several large and medium companies in Bangladesh have recently started manufacturing and selling lead-free paints. After ESDO, the government should now come forward and prepare a regulation to eliminate the use of lead in paints by 2017 and set up the immediate standard of 50 ppm by 2015, he urged. BPMA Vice President and Engineer Abdur Rahman said, SMEs and MNCs have already confirmed to BPMA that they will soon stop adding or using lead. However, it is high time that the government and the act strictly eliminate lead in paint through setting a standard of 50 ppm. World Health Organization (WHO) representative Shamsul Gafur Mahmud lauded the initiative and said, It is possible for manufacturers to go lead-free. The government can accelerate this by setting a standard for concentration of lead. Deputy Director of BSTI Jahora Sikder said, BSTI welcomes ESDOs multi-dimensional activities towards creating a lead-free Bangladesh. BSTI is working to set 50 ppm as lead limiting standard in paints in the country. We hope by the end of this year, we will be able to do it. ESDO Secretary General and UNEP Mercury Specialist Dr. Shahriar Hossain said, Children are mostly vulnerable to lead poisoning. Developed countries have already banned lead. To ban lead in Bangladesh, ESDO has been working with relevant ministries since 2009. Executive Director of ESDO Siddika Sultana said, It is the paint manufacturers in Bangladesh which helped ESDOs lead elimination initiative to come this far. ESDO hopes that the government will also immediately take proper steps to ban lead in paint. Siddika expressed gratitude to everyone from BSTI, DoE and BPMA who made the dialogue a success. Top officials from Berger Paints, Moon Star Paints, RAK Paint, Asian Paints, Anchor Paint, Elite Paints, Nippon Paints and Imperial Paints Ltd were also present at the occasion. The dialogue assumes significance in the wake of a recent ESDO study which found 19 out of 22 paint brands sold in the country to carry dangerously high levels of lead. The study revealed that five brands sold paints with lead levels below 90 ppm while 7 brands constituting 85 per cent of the paint market sold paints with lead levels below 600 ppm. The survey showed the number of paints with lead levels below 90 ppm to have increased vis--vis the last study conducted in 2012-13. The 2012-13 report had found five paint brands including market leaders Berger and Asian Paints containing less than 90 ppm lead and nearly two-thirds of paints having lead concentrations above 600 ppm. ESDO, since 2009, has been working towards eliminating lead in paints through public awareness and policy advocacy. Since 2012, the organisation has been working towards implementing Lead Paint Elimination project in the country in association with the European Union (EU) and International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN). The Bangladesh Paint Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has joined this venture with ESDO in 2013. Courtesy such initiatives, some large and medium paint manufacturers have already started selling lead-free paints.