High level of lead found in many paints in Thailand

[webfact]

High level of lead found in many paints
The Nation

Study shows that up to 40 per cent of products contain dangerous levels

BANGKOK: -- Most paint products, including those touting to be lead free, contain more lead than the standard set by the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI).

Lead exposure is deemed harmful to health and, in some cases, might cause lifelong damage to the human brain.

"Lead concentration in as many as 40 per cent of the paint products in the market have been found to be exceeding the standard level by more than 100 times," Walaiporn Mooksuwan said yesterday, citing information from her research.

Covering 120 samples of paint from 68 brands, the research is a part of the Asian Lead Paint Elimination Project conducted by the Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (EARTH) Foundation, of which Walaiporn is deputy director.

The findings were released at a seminar at Chulalongkorn University.

According to the study, the TISI standard requires that paint products have no more than 100 parts per million (PPM) of lead.

"But 79 per cent of the products tested exceed that level, and some 40 per cent of the products have more than 10,000ppm of lead. Some of the products with the lead-free label are also in this group," Walaiporn said.

She added that the highest lead concentration found in a product was 95,000ppm, while the lowest was 9ppm.

She said her research showed that only 15 paint manufacturers appeared to have abided by the TISI standard.

The current TISI standard for lead concentration in paint products was put in effect in 2010. This is a tougher version of the old standard, which allowed lead concentration of up to 600ppm. Since the TISI standard is not a law, entrepreneurs are free to comply with it on a voluntary basis.

The foundation's director Penchom sae Tang said yesterday that this standard should become legally binding.

"Otherwise, the consumers will never know which products are really safe," she said.

Though the Cabinet has already approved the National Economic and Social Advisory Council's proposal that the lead standard for paint products become a legal rule, it remains to be seen when the rule will take effect.

Penchom said she was most worried about young children because lead could impair their brain development, adding that the chemical is believed to affect 600,000 children each year.

"Lead is also harmful for adults," she said.

The Office of the Consumer Protection Board is preparing to include a lead warning on the label of paint products.


-- The Nation 2013-10-22

[Thai at Heart]

Great. Major Thai and international brands intentionally poisoning the population.

I despair

[soi41]

"Exposure can cause lifelong damage to the human brain"

So all politicians used to be painters??

[apetley]

"Some of the products with a lead-free label are also in the group".

Shame that you can't trust any label here.

And how about naming those brands that are a health? Guess that would probably lead to a defamation case.

[keith101]

the best way to stop this is to name all the products so people can avoid using them any , thereby forcing manufacturers to conform with regulations . most western countries have outlawed the use of lead in paints because of the adverse affect on the brain and especially for children which is probably why thai kids cant perform as well as most in school .

[Thai at Heart]

the best way to stop this is to name all the products so people can avoid using them any , thereby forcing manufacturers to conform with regulations . most western countries have outlawed the use of lead in paints because of the adverse affect on the brain and especially for children which is probably why thai kids cant perform as well as most in school .

That would defamatory.

The spokesman added "consumers should buy their own testing laboratory individually to insure that they get their own results and thus avoid defamation charges".

Edited October 22, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[JoeThePoster]

"Exposure can cause lifelong damage to the human brain"

So all politicians used to be painters??

That's why they call themselves "leaders".

[bunnydrops]

How would posting the names and findings be defamatory? If they disagree with the findings, let them argue that they are wrong and tell us what is in the paint.

[ezzra]

Name and shame please, the public has the right to know....

[FarangTalk]

How would posting the names and findings be defamatory? If they disagree with the findings, let them argue that they are wrong and tell us what is in the paint.

You cannot break someone's rice bowl here.

Most journalists who get too inquisitive end up at the end of a bullet.

[SlideRiceFC]

I understand that it's voluntary to comply but surely the ones advertising their products to be lead free when in fact they aren't must be in violation of something on the books that they could stick them with.

[clockman]

T.I.T. No enforceable laws, and the laws in place. To protect the guilty.

[doremifasol]

Overall, yellow and orange samples have

been found to have the maximum lead

concentration .

A yellow Nippon enamel paint was found to contain

more than 500,000 ppm of lead and a Rust-Oleum enamel

paint was found to contain more than 300,000 ppm of lead.

http://ipen.org/pdfs/ipen_global_lead_paint_elimination_report_2012.pdf

Brand-wise, Berger samples exhibited

the maximum lead concentration with a

cumulative average of 51,723.2ppm across

countries for various shades. This has been

followed by Asian Paints with 16,124.7ppm

(cumulative mean). ICI Dulux emerged

the cleanest with 65.33ppm mean lead

concentration, much below US’s 90ppm limit.

If you have kids, please check the link below:

Products recall due to violation of lead paint standard:

http://www.recallowl.com/recalls/lead%20paint

[colin2]

"Exposure can cause lifelong damage to the human brain"

So all politicians used to be painters??

And now they are a bunch of B ankers

[razer]

One question for the government .... Why?

[JeffreyWitty]

the best way to stop this is to name all the products so people can avoid using them any , thereby forcing manufacturers to conform with regulations . most western countries have outlawed the use of lead in paints because of the adverse affect on the brain and especially for children which is probably why thai kids cant perform as well as most in school .

To avoid defamation - better to name the 15 brands that performed well/passed the testing.

[impulse]

She said her research showed that only 15 paint manufacturers appeared to have abided by the TISI standard.

So, like JeffreyWitty suggested, howza 'bout they name the 15 companies that are following the standard?

Certainly that can't be considered defamatory?

Edited October 22, 2013 by impulse

[noikrit]

Lead in the paint in Parliament House , That Explains it !!

[h90]

you should not eat paint

[lucjoker]

As well as giving the paint its tint, lead pigments are highly opaque, so that a relatively small amount of the compound can cover large areas.

White lead is very insoluble in water, making the paint highly water-resistant with a durable, washable finish.

This is just the way i like my paint in Thailand !

But only for my walls and ceilings !

Not on toys !

This paint is only harmful when chewed on !

So if i see my children chew on my walls or crawl around on my ceiling .....

[pisico]

How can we Farangs expect transparency in a tribal country? To name the 15 relatively safe paint manufactures would mean loss of face to the rest of manufacturers. Not to mention the vested interests of people in government.

Thais are reactive, not proactive. History tells us that sometimes even a severe backlash that would hurt their revenue is not enough. The floods are a good example. When factories and investment begin migrating to more propitious countries, the powers that be, even then, would not have a clue why is happening. The first reaction will be to blame something or somebody, regardless of how farfetched that claim is.

Never admit failure or wrongdoing. Unless one is forced to do it.

[belg]

you must love lawless thailand

anything remotly toxic and forbidden since 20 - 30 years in western countries is still used & available here

[PhilipCook]

name and shame

[RubbaJohnny]

I understand that it's voluntary to comply but surely the ones advertising their products to be lead free when in fact they aren't must be in violation of something on the books that they could stick them with.

Yes you would think so ,but you no undertand "Thai way"

In democratic places where safety and consumer laws are enforced when the falg drops theBS stops ,here the reverse applies,In fact about the only claim verifiable is Amazing Thailand,

May I be first to praise industry for the quality of whitewash.

[metisdead]

Off topic nonsense posts have been removed as well as the replies.

[kuiburi]

"Exposure can cause lifelong damage to the human brain"

So all politicians used to be painters??

They still are , there braindamage seems to get worse on a daily basis .

[kuiburi]

Focus on chemicals they use in agriculture better .

Lead in paint improves its quality , use it where it is ment to be used .

And keep it away from the kitchen and kids toys , especially pencils most people and kids like to chew on .

[espinoza]

The Thai government do not think in the same way as the most governments in the western world. They do not have any clue about led contamination, and if none of their relatives are struck of led contamination they do not care. It' s about the knowlegde and the human care of the government. The present government lack both.

Name and shame please, the public has the right to know....

[brubakertx]

Don't worry!

I'm sure our food and water is very safe!!!!!!