Enforce lead poisoning regulations to eliminate risks

As we mark the sixth International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action (October 21-27), it is vital to fully implement the recently enacted regulations restricting the use of lead in paints to avoid the devastating effects of the heavy metal to human and environmental health.

Lead and its compounds are used widely in the manufacturing of various types of paint in Kenya since the chemical gives the product brilliant colours, prevents rusting on the painted metal surfaces and makes oil-based paint dry faster and more evenly.

TOXICANT

However, lead is a cumulative and persistent toxicant affecting practically every system within the human body — particularly the intellectual development and well-being of children, resulting in significant learning challenges.

Such paints are among the major sources of lead exposure and common cause of lead poisoning since they are extensively used in homes, schools, public buildings, toys, furniture and playground equipment as well as industries, vehicles and road markings.

EXPOSURES

Surfaces freshly painted with lead-based paint are not immediate sources of lead exposure. But over time, they deteriorate, peel off and the paint becomes airborne, spreading toxic contamination. Paint works that involve sanding and welding may also contribute to these exposures.

Renovations, demolitions and repainting may produce dust containing lead. Raw leaded materials may become airborne during manufacturing and settle down as dust, which is easily inhaled and ingested. This dust further contaminates the soil and water and gets into humans through various food chains.

ELIMINATE

Lead in paint was identified at the second International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM) in 2009 as one of the emerging policy issues. The ICCM launched the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead in Paint as a voluntary partnership that is jointly led by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to protect human health and the environment.

The goal of the Lead Paint Alliance is to focus and catalyse the efforts of diverse stakeholders to prevent exposure of children and minimise occupational exposure to lead paint. The objective is to establish legal limits and phase out lead in paint by 2020 and eventually eliminate the associated risks. This undertaking is comparable to the previous joint international efforts that encouraged national regulatory actions to phase out leaded fuel.

AWARENESS

Since 2013, the lead poisoning prevention week has taken place annually on the last week of October to encourage governments to enforce legal limits on lead in paint and encourage industries not to manufacture or sell lead paint. It also raises awareness of the health and environmental risks posed by lead paint.

In Kenya, the issues of lead paint came into the public limelight in 2013 with strong collaboration and participation of Lead Paint Alliance partners, policymakers, regulators, researchers, academia, diverse media and consumer networks, among other key stakeholders.

SUPPORTIVE

Paint manufacturers have been largely supportive and, since then, measurable progress and commitment have been made towards establishing legal limits to phase out lead in all paints.

The Technical Committee of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs), which includes local paint manufacturers, recently developed a permissive limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) lead content in paint.

Kenya now joins the rest of the world with this legal limit, having adopted the National Lead Paint Standard. It also restricts the supply of leaded materials since it is an open market economy and imports synthetic chemicals to manufacture paints. The draft of harmonisation of the East African lead standard is open for public review by Kebs within 60 days.

The most effective way to phase out lead in paint is by enforcing the lead standards to ensure that consumers use lead-free paints.

COMPLIANCE

This week, a series of activities, including a one-day road show by the Department of Chemistry of the University of Nairobi in collaboration with the UNEP and paint manufacturers.

Participants will advocate lead-free paint in respect of the national standard. They will also demonstrate how paints are analysed in the laboratory to determine levels of compliance.

The road show will also provide an opportunity to demonstrate the commitment of various sectors towards phasing out of lead in paint in Kenya and the region.

Dr Were, a lecturer in the University of Nairobi’s Department of Chemistry, is a member of Lead Paint Alliance Advisory Council and chairlady of the Technical Committee of Kebs. [email protected].