Research report reveals the dangers under bright coatings: Children's playground mounts with lead levels exceeding hundreds of times the limit | coatings | danger

Lead, a heavy metal, poses a significant threat to human health, especially causing irreversible damage to organs and systems during the growth and development stages of children. The high lead content in items used by children, such as toys and learning materials, has become an important factor affecting children's growth and development. Children exposed to lead may experience intellectual decline, developmental disorders, and lack of concentration.

Recently, a research team released the Basic Research Report on Lead Content in Chinese Coatings. The research team measured the lead content in living environments and online coatings. Out of 85 environmental samples, it was found that nearly half of the industrial coatings sold online exceeded the lead standard. The orange mounts in a children's playground exceed the standard by hundreds of times. Behind the exceeding standards is the pursuit of bright colors by businesses in children's products. Under bright coatings, there may be huge hidden dangers.

The survey participants of the Basic Research Report on Lead Content in Chinese Coatings include the expert team of the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, the Beijing Entrepreneur Environmental Protection Foundation, the China Coatings Industry Association, and environmental public welfare organizations in Shenzhen and Changsha. The study participant Mao Da told reporters that unlike traditional indoor decoration coatings, which are highly valued for environmental indicators, they measured the lead content in living environments and online coatings. Among 85 environmental samples such as parking lot floors, door walls, shared bicycles, sports and fitness facilities, and road markings, an orange mount in a children's playground exceeded the standard by hundreds of times, ranking first. Nearly half of the industrial coatings sold online were found to have lead exceeding the national standard. And industrial coatings are actually very close to our lives.

Mao Da said, "Many coatings used in public places actually come from industrial coatings. When it comes to industrial coatings, we thought they were only used in industrial settings, far from our daily lives. In fact, they are not. Many coatings used in children's parks, amusement facilities, etc. are industrial coatings. And this time, we found that 72% of the substandard proportions were in parking lots, where a layer of paint was applied on the ground, and the lead content was very high. There are also road markings. This time, we found that 85% of the substandard proportions were tested, and we did not realize it. Through investigation, we found that lead pollution is not far from us, and it is caused by coatings."

In addition to the colorful paint, some solvent based wood paints commonly known as oil-based paints used outdoors are also severely affected by excessive lead levels.

Mao Da said, "The paint used for painting some wooden or iron furniture belongs to the category of lead containing pigments, which is a so-called disaster area. Although the amount used is not very large, if some children frequently touch it, and even some children have a habit of gnawing, problems will definitely occur."

Zhang Jinliang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, is the main author of the report. Zhang Jinliang introduced that in daily life, after objects are coated with paint, over the years, the coating gradually peels off and turns into small dust. Part of it enters the air and is inhaled, while the other part enters the body through the touch of hands. Both children and adults can inhale lead into the body through contact with the digestive tract, respiratory tract, and skin. After exposure to lead in children, blood lead levels will increase. Multiple studies have shown that children who only need to reach a blood lead concentration of 50 micrograms per liter may experience symptoms such as intellectual decline, developmental disorders, and lack of concentration. Painters or adults engaged in construction demolition professions may also be exposed to this hazard. The problem behind this is that some non compliant products can still be unobstructed.

Zhang Jinliang said, "The samples that do not meet the standards are mainly concentrated in coatings with colors such as yellow, orange, red, and green, all of which are added with lead chromium dyes. The probability of consumers purchasing industrial coatings and wood coatings with excessive total lead content is relatively high. Currently, the 3C certification rate of wood coatings is still very low, and the proportion of products that do not meet the certification is still high. Moreover, most of these certified non compliant products are products with excessive total lead content. Online sales stores have some false or inaccurate information in introducing paint products, some of which may be intentional, while others are unclear or unintentional."

Zhang Jinliang suggests further improving relevant regulations, limiting the use of lead, developing lead-free coatings, and limiting the lead content in areas that people can directly contact.

Zhang Jinliang emphasized: "Firstly, we need to further improve our country's policies, regulations, and standards for restricting lead containing coatings. For example, from limiting soluble lead to limiting total lead. Secondly, we need to strengthen market supervision, including product coverage, product types, etc. This coverage also includes geographical regions and testing indicators. Thirdly, we need to encourage large domestic coating enterprises to develop new lead-free pigments and help small coating enterprises in difficulty adjust the formula of lead containing coatings. Fourthly, we need to strictly regulate the labeling of coating products, including product names, labels, introduction content, and execution standards. Fifth, we need to strengthen the monitoring of coating sales, including some e-commerce platforms. Sixth, we need to pay attention to people's potential." "Pay attention to the lead content in the coatings of some public facilities, such as residential buildings and public buildings, in places where children and school-age children are concentrated, especially in kindergartens and primary schools."

Huang Dachang, a representative of the National People's Congress and a practitioner in the paint industry, told reporters that the low lead technology for most coatings is feasible and the cost is controllable, and should be vigorously guided. However, some companies are still using lead containing raw materials to save costs.

Huang Dachang introduced, "In the past, some manufacturers used traditional processes to produce raw materials. If traditional processes produced colors, they contained heavy metals, and one type was lead containing raw materials, which had rich colors and sometimes even bright colors. Of course, during the processing of these raw materials, whether it was the process or the cost, there was no improvement or upgrading of equipment, which caused the residue of heavy metals. Because their effect colors were relatively rich and the cost was relatively low, some coating manufacturers are still producing this type of coating."

Limiting the lead content in coatings is not without rules. Some media have conducted incomplete statistics, and from 2019 to 2020, the country issued six mandatory national standards intensively. For six purposes, including woodworking, building walls, vehicles, industrial protection, ships, and indoor flooring, the limit of lead is mentioned. However, Huang Dachang stated that there are still many gaps in the national standard for the lead content of coatings that need to be filled urgently. National mandatory standards should make clear provisions for the lead content of coatings in various scenarios.

Huang Dachang said, "Our country has restrictions on lead containing coatings according to national standards. One is the lead content standard for wood paint, and the other is for wall paint, which is commonly referred to as building paint, indoor paint, etc. However, among many lead containing standards in various fields, they have not been fully covered, and some standards have not been published. I suggest that when formulating relevant standards, the country should make mandatory provisions for the concepts of soluble lead and the total amount of lead in different fields."

Huang Dachang suggests implementing mandatory low lead standards for topcoats in scenes that are directly accessible to the public, especially children. Zhang Jinliang also suggests that parents choose reliable platforms to purchase toys or stationery, and pay attention to whether there is relevant certification. Guide children to develop good habits in daily life, such as not eating hands or biting nails, regularly cleaning toys, and minimizing the risk of lead exposure.