WITH the 2024-25 academic year opening in public schools nationwide by the end of the month, an anti-tobacco watchdog yesterday warned the public over the presence of lead-tainted kiddie bags being sold by bargain stores and sidewalk vendors.
In a statement, BAN Toxics said said it found such bags being sold in Divisoria in the city of Manila.
“It is alarming to discover that, until now, we still find the presence of toxic chemicals in some children’s products, such as school supplies,” said BAN Toxics campaigner Thony Dizon.
“Parents should be mindful of checking the product information, or lack thereof, and the potential presence of toxic chemicals,” he said.
In particular, BAN Toxics said it used as samples kiddie backpacks costing P150 each that they bought sold in bargain stores and by sidewalk vendors in Divisoria.
Using a Vanta C Series HH XRF Analyzer, the group said it screened the school bag samples from the colorful designs, painted fabric, including the zippers, and found toxic lead levels up to 11,900 parts per million (ppm).
Quoting the World Health Organization (WHO), the group said lead exposure can have serious consequences for the health of children, such as anemia, hypertension, renal impairment, and immuno-toxicity.
At high levels of exposure, BAN Toxics stressed that the brain and central nervous system can be severely damaged, and cause coma, convulsions, and even death.
The group urged parents to not just consider the prices of bags when buying school supplies for their children.
“The health and safety of the children should be the priority before buying,” Dizon said, as he also called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and local government units to help rid the market of the toxic bags for kids.
“We urge them to conduct on-site inspections and test-buys of the school supplies being offered for sale in public markets, as well as in malls and school supply stores,” said Dizon.
