DAVAO CITY -- A quarter of children's toys being sold in the city have elevated amounts of toxic metals, most especially lead, a molecular biologist said.
Dr. Joseph DiGangi, senior science and policy adviser of the International POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutant) Eliminations Network, conducted tests using the X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to screen priority chemicals in 135 samples from different toy stores in the city.
"The problem lies in the sale of toxic products and lack of information about its chemical content and children are the most vulnerable because they are not adults, and they can easily put a handful of substances in their mouths," DiGangi said.
XRF analyzer emits beam into materials and it can measure at least 20 harmful elements, including lead, arsenic, antimony, chromium, cadmium and mercury.
DiGangi said that aside from the concern for the children who end up with such toys, of great concern too are the workers in these toy factories who are the first ones to be exposed to whatever harmful metals the toys contain.
Twenty-two samples contain levels ranging from 92 ppm (parts per million) to more than 1700 ppm almost 20 times higher than the US regulatory limit of 600 ppm for consumer products like paint. Other toxic metals were also detected in the toys although these were not enumerated.
Toys that were tested were from leading malls and toy stores in the city and some were from the retail and "ukay-ukay" (used clothes) stores in Uyanguren and Bankerohan.
During the public forum sponsored by the environment non-government organization Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), a member of the EcoWaste coalition urges vendors and local business sector to stop engaging in production, trade, and sale of toys and other products that contain such toxic metals.
"Results of these test would lead to more action in ensuring the safety of our toys and ultimately ensuring the state of our children," said Lia Jasmin Esquillo, IDIS executive director.
City Councilor Bernard Al-ag, chairman of the City Council committee on health; Concepcion Regalado, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officer of Satellite Laboratory 11; and Gloria Raut, chief engineer II of the health support division of the Department of Health (DOH) witnessed the testing.
"It is alarming to witness and to know the results and this is not just a city issue but this should be addressed in the national level as well. FDA and DOH should do tests to measure the accuracy and veracity of the test done here and correlate it to others," Al-ag said.
He added that since he has two young children, he wants this to be thoroughly checked by both government agencies and he will be suggesting to the mayor an executive order to prohibit the release of the license to operate to distributors who will not adhere to proper testing of the products.
"We need to let them know of the consequences it will bring to our children, we don’t know if these distributors are not aware themselves of the harmful chemicals they are selling," Al-ag added.
Raut said they conducted such surveys of several stores in January 2010 as instructed by Administrative Order 32 series of 2009.
"We have submitted our findings to the Bureau of Health and Devices and Technology in Manila and we are waiting for their recommendation," Raut added. It was not explained why it is taking more than a year for a recommendation to be issued.
DiGangi, meanwhile, said that manufacturers should disclose chemical content as a condition for sale and regulators and consumers should insist on the labeling.
"Government's action is to strengthen the existing policies and prohibit toxic products before products end up in children’s hand," DiGangi said.
Regalado, for her part, said that they acknowledge the mandate of FDA for consumer protection and they have established safety efforts in line with their commitment to protect the consumer.
"We have a conventional method in checking as well, it is the atomic absorption spectrometer, though it is not the same device used by Dr. DiGangi," Regalado said.
She added that it takes two weeks for their machine to detect toxicity levels in products.
DiGangi said that retailers should cooperate and not leave it all to the government agencies to make policies.
"Retailers should be engaged and participate in listing their products," DiGangi said. (Sun.Star Davao)
