MANILA – The EcoWaste Coalition has revealed that 20 spray paint samples it submitted to a private laboratory for confirmatory testing were verified as lead paints that are illegal to import, distribute, and sell in the Philippines.

The group disclosed the findings ahead of the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) from October 19 to 25, emphasizing the need to address enforcement gaps that allow imported lead paints to enter the local market.

The 20 paints, mostly marked as made in China or Thailand, were all found to contain lead levels exceeding 90 parts per million (ppm)—the legal limit set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Of these, 12 samples contained lead concentrations higher than 10,000 ppm.

A counterfeit yellow Bosny Spray claiming to be made in Thailand topped the list with 116,000 ppm of lead. Other products with extremely high concentrations included Easyman Spray Paint All Purpose Enamel with 78,600 ppm (green), 87,700 ppm (orange), and 95,500 ppm (yellow); JM Spray Paint with 89,900 ppm (medium yellow); Standard JR Spray Paint with 79,800 ppm; and JMJAFA Spray Paint with 67,900 ppm (Jialing red).

Of the 20 paints analyzed, 13 products—representing three brands (counterfeit Bosny Spray Paint, Easyman Spray Paint All Purpose Enamel, and Standard JR Spray Paint)—carried the “No Pb” pictogram, indicating they were supposedly lead-free. Contrary to this claim, all 13 samples contained lead, with five showing concentrations exceeding 50,000 ppm.

Last August, the EcoWaste Coalition also announced the detection of violative levels of lead in 27 imported spray paints based on laboratory analyses.

The organization clarified that the non-compliant paints were not produced, imported, or distributed by companies under the Philippine Paint & Coatings Association, Inc. (PPCAI). The PPCAI, together with Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc., the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), and the EcoWaste Coalition, is part of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint.

DENR Administrative Order 2013-24, or the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds, set the 90 ppm lead limit for all paints and required the phase-out of lead-containing decorative paints by December 31, 2016, and industrial paints by December 31, 2019.

In observance of ILPPW, the EcoWaste Coalition will release the latest version of the Public Notice on Lead-Containing Paints, co-published with PPCAI and IPEN, to guide consumers in making informed purchasing decisions.

This year’s ILPPW theme, “No safe level: Act now to end lead exposure,” underscores the unacceptable risks of lead exposure and calls for urgent action to protect vulnerable populations, particularly children.