eNEW DELHI: Planning to paint your house ahead of Diwali? Think twice as a study has found that all major paint samples contain high levels of lead way above the prescribed standard of 90 parts per million (ppm).Collected randomly, the paints were manufactured between 2018 and 2019 after a regulation came into force.
The study by Toxic Links shows that there is a clear violation of the prescribed standard of 90 ppm as toxic paints are still available in the market and no action have been initiated to remove them. “It is of utmost most importance that the regulators act on the large-scale violation of the rules and ensure lead-safe paints are available in the market considering the children’s health,” said Piyush Mohapatra, senior programme coordinator, Toxics Link.
The study found that lowest concentration of lead was 189 ppm and the highest concentration stood at 1,09,289 ppm. “One paint sample labelled as ‘no added Lead’ was also found to have high lead levels (49321) ppm, which is almost 548 times than the prescribed lead level of 90 ppm. High lead level was also detected in the samples manufactured in 2019,” the study said.
The compliance of lead in paints regulations is critical considering children’s health and environment. “Exposure of children, especially below the age of six, can affect their behavioural and cognitive development,” said Satish Sinha, associate director, Toxics Link.