QUEZON CITY — Hazardous chemicals like lead, which harm developing brains, must not be used in children’s products, including backpacks and other school supplies.
The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition reiterated the importance of keeping lead and other harmful substances out of children’s products as the academic year 2026-2027 commences on June 8.
“As no amount of lead exposure is without risk, manufacturers and regulators must eliminate all avoidable sources of lead exposure in products marketed for children’s use so they can grow up healthy and safe,” said Aileen Lucero, national coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “Labeling information on chemicals in children’s products must also be made mandatory to guide consumers in making sound choices. Consumers have the right to know what they are spending on and be protected against toxic exposure.”
“Children face a higher risk from toxic chemicals because they breathe, eat, and drink more relative to their body size than adults do; they frequently put things in their mouths, and their bodies and immune systems are still developing. Their neurological systems are especially vulnerable during these critical windows of growth — damage done early can have lifelong consequences,” said environmental health specialist Dr. Geminn Louis Apostol of the Ateneo Center for Research and Innovation (ACRI). “Because of their inherent vulnerability, children require special protection against lead, heavy metals, and other harmful chemicals found in their homes, schools, and communities.”
“Protecting children from toxic exposure is not just a health issue — it is a matter of justice and our collective responsibility to future generations,” Apostol emphasized.
To hammer its message home, the EcoWaste Coalition revealed that it has detected potential lead exposure risks in some popular back-to-school essentials it recently purchased from retailers in Caloocan, Manila, and Quezon Cities as part of its ongoing advocacy to uphold children’s right to a healthy, toxics-free environment.
A total of 69 products were procured and screened for heavy metals using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, including 46 backpacks, 11 lunch bags, 6 stainless steel tumblers, and 6 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic raincoats.
Backpacks. Out of 46 backpacks, 36 were identified as posing lead exposure risks because they contained lead levels as high as 30,320 parts per million (ppm), way above legal limits. Specifically, lead levels varying from 110 to 3,026 ppm were detected on the colored fabric or PVC plastic design of 22 backpacks. Also, the zipper sliders and pull tabs of 17 backpacks contained lead ranging from 12,040 to 30,320 ppm. Only one of these backpacks provided labeling information, but in foreign characters; the rest were totally unlabelled.
Lunch bags. Of the 11 lunch bags, 7 were found to contain lead up to 25,670 ppm. Lead levels between 238 and 509 ppm were detected on the colored fabric or PVC plastic design of 3 lunch bags. Zipper sliders and pull tabs of 6 lunch bags also contained 13,360 to 25,670 ppm of lead. Nine of these lunch bags had zero labeling information.
Tumblers. Of the 6 stainless steel tumblers, one was found coated with lead-containing green paint, measured at 64,620 ppm. While no lead was detected in the exterior paint of the other tumblers, lead levels ranging from 37,530 to over 100,000 ppm were found in the solder dot at the base of 5 tumblers. This area poses a potential exposure risk if the covering sticker is peeled off. None of the six tumblers carried basic labeling information.
Philippine and US laws limit lead in paints to a maximum of 90 ppm, while US law prohibits accessible components of children’s products, such as zipper teeth, pulls, and sliders, from containing more than 100 ppm of lead.
Raincoats. Additionally, toxic cadmium up to 205 ppm was detected in all six PVC plastic raincoats. Cadmium up to 487 ppm was also detected in 13 backpacks, such as those made of clear PVC plastic.
European laws limit cadmium in plastic to no greater than 100 ppm.
To protect children’s health and safety, the EcoWaste Coalition urged the authorities to strictly regulate and monitor products marketed for children’s use, noting that strong and enforced regulations can help prevent lifelong health problems. The group called on policy makers and implementers to:
– Review, strengthen, and expand current regulations on lead and other harmful substances in children’s products.
– Fix policy gaps, such as banning lead in accessible parts of any children’s products.
– Prohibit use of PVC plastic in children’s products to prevent exposure to toxic chemical additives, particularly cadmium and phthalates.
– Require mandatory labeling information for all children’s products, including chemical composition and hazard warnings.
“As classes begin, we hope our children step into healthy, safe, and toxics-free spaces in school and at home where they can truly develop and flourish,” the EcoWaste Coalition concluded.
