EcoWaste warns of toxic school supplies

With the new academic year about to start, the EcoWaste Coalition warned of possible presence of a dangerous compound in school supplies.

The group bought five samples and had them tested. The products tested positive for di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or DEHP, a suspected carcinogen, exceeding by 200 times the limit imposed by the US government.

Phthalates are toxic industrial chemicals commonly used to make plastics, like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), more flexible, softer or durable. Because of health concerns, the European Union (eu) and the United States have banned the use of some phthalates in plastic toys and other products for children.

In a campaign to make consumers awareness about phthalates, EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and toxic watchdog, bought five typical PVC school supplies from popular stores in May. The group had the supplies analyzed by Intertek Testing Services Philippines, a leading consumer product testing company, from May 24 to 31 for the suspected carcinogen.

Lab results show that all five samples tested had high levels of DEHP. The results show a green long plastic envelope had 19.881 percent DEHP; a PVC plastic book cover 18.997 percent DEHP; a PVC notebook cover 18.543 percent DEHP; a PVC plastic lunch bag and a PVC backpack both had 17.120 percent DEHP.

The United States limit for DEHP and five other types of phthalates, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, is 0.1 percent of any product for children age 12 and younger.

Group urges action

“Our investigation proves the presence of elevated amounts of health-damaging phthalates in products commonly used by school-going Filipino kids,” said Aileen Lucero of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Project PROTECT (People Responding and Organizing against Toxic Chemical Threats).

“In the interest of children’s health and safety, we urge the authorities to make a decisive policy action—based on the precautionary principle—against these toxic substances,” she added. “In the meantime, we advise parents to patronize school supplies that are PVC-free and invite them to join us in pushing for a strong regulation that will ban and safeguard our children from phthalates.”

Dr. Andreas Prevodnik, program officer on chemicals of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), said, “This is a disturbing discovery. Children are particularly vulnerable, as their reproductive systems are under development. Furthermore, DEHP is a suspected carcinogen. For these reasons, DEHP is prohibited in the EU in toys and childcare articles.”

According to the Swedish Society, a partner of the EcoWaste Coalition in its chemical safety work, DEHP is a developmental and reproductive toxicant in animals and is also believed to have similar harmful effects in humans.

Several scientific studies have found a connection between impaired male fertility and exposure to DEHP.

Prevodnik said, “First of all, the use of PVC plastics, which requires plasticizers, such as phthalates, should be restricted, not the least in products intended for children. When it comes to chemicals, the SSNC also always refers to the precautionary principle. If less harmful alternatives are available, these should substitute the more harmful. A number of alternative plasticizers that appear to be less harmful than DEHP are available.”

Banned substance

In December 2005, the European Union Parliament voted to ban the use of three phthalates (DEHP, dibutyl phthalate or DBP and butylbenzyl phthalate or BBP) and restrict the use of another three phthalates (di-iso nonyl phthalate or DINP, di-iso-decyl phthalate or DIDP and di-n-octyl phthalate or DNOP) in plastic toys and childcare articles, without recommended age-limitations.

In July 2008, the US Congress enacted the US Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act banning six phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP and DNOP) from children’s toys and cosmetics.

Beginning March 2010, Australia adopted an 18-month ban on products containing more than 1 percent DEHP by weight for toys, childcare articles and eating vessels for use by children up to 3 years old.

During the Fourteenth Congress in the Philippines, Sen. Lito Lapid proposed a resolution banning phthalates in cosmetics and personal-care products, while Sen. Miriam Santiago and her son, Rep. Narciso Santiago 3rd of the party-list ARC, filed bills promoting phthalate-free toys. -FRANCIS EARL A. CUETO Reporter, Manila Times