By Ferdinand Fabella | Posted on Apr. 29, 2013 at 12:01am
An environment watchdog group warned the public on Sunday against buying cheap kiddie backpacks sold by sidewalk vendors and bargain stores because the products contain lead and other harmful chemicals that can damage the brain and cause lower intelligence quotient and other learning disabilities among children.
Aileen Lucero national coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition said laboratory tests made on the products showed they contained unsafe levels of lead, a potent brain and nervous system poison.
“Parents should be concerned with toxins prowling in these bags that can impair brain development, cause shorter attention span, lower IQs and other learning disabilities,†Lucero said.
Using X-Ray Flourescence analyzer, EcoWaste researchers screened product samples for their lead content. The samples, which cost from P50 to P280 each, were bought from street vendors in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
In the absence of specific standard for lead in children’s bags, researchers used as reference the 90 parts per million (ppm) limit for lead in consumer paints and surface coatings under the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. Out of 25 samples, 23 or 93 percent contained lead of up to 5,752 ppm in excess of the 90 ppm limit. --
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