Exposure to high content of lead in paints: Pakistani children facing irreversible health issues, study shows

KARACHI: Around 40 percent of the oil-based paints being sold in the Pakistani markets contain ‘dangerous and illegally high levels’ of lead, endangering the health of Pakistan’s children, says a study conducted by Pakistani and international research organizations on Tuesday.

New revelations have compelled the Standards & Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) of the Government of Pakistan, a regional leader on lead paint policy, to call upon on paint manufacturers to urgently remove lead from their products.

Recently World Health Organization (WHO) said every year, an estimated one million people, die from lead poisoning while millions more, many of them children, are exposed to low levels of lead causing lifelong health problems, including anaemia, hypertension, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioural effects of lead could be irreversible.

But in the latest study, doctors from the Aga Khan University (AKU) and Lead Exposure Elimination Project (LEEP) tested 60 residential-use paints from 21 brands for sale in Karachi. Around 40 percent of the paints sampled contained levels of lead higher than Pakistan’s mandatory limit and above the level recommended by the World Health Organization. Some paint contained 1000 times the limit. Lead exposure has severe negative health impacts on children, causing permanent damage to their cognitive development, stunted growth and anaemia. Lead poisoning from paint and other sources is estimated to affect 47 million children in Pakistan, costing the country $38 billion in lost earnings every year. The PSQCA introduced a mandatory standard in 2017 that restricts the level of lead in paint to 100 parts per million. The new data will support the PSQCA’s efforts to ensure manufacturers are complying with the compulsory limit.

AKU and LEEP’s research found high levels of lead in nine of the major paint brands, and in eight smaller brands. Some brands made ‘lead-free’ claims despite their paint containing high levels of lead. The most harmful paints were typically yellow and red colours. Lead exposure can be caused by various sources, with paint being an important source globally. The new research from AKU and LEEP suggests that paint is likely to be one cause of childhood lead poisoning in Pakistan.

Talking to The News, Dr Zafar Fatmi, Professor of Environmental Health & Climate Change, Community Health Sciences at Aga Khan University, said lead is a neurotoxin and even low levels of exposure for children can result in reduced intelligence, lower educational attainment, reduced future earnings, and increased violent behaviour. Lead affects all body systems, also causing anaemia, growth stunting, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Fatmi maintained that one of the main sources of lead poisoning is gasoline but three major companies providing petrol in Pakistan ensure that petrol contains permissible levels of lead but there are some secondary sources too that cause lead poisoning, saying paints, some types of toys and Kohl (Surma) also contain lead, which is causing lead poisoning in Pakistan.

“Due to paints containing lead on the walls, pregnant ladies and children up to five years of age have been found most affected. Lead poisoning causes irreversible brain damage leading to serious mental health issues for such children”, Dr. Fatmi added.

Director General of the PSQCA Zain ul Abedin, said the data in this study provides valuable guidance for enforcement of Pakistan’s compulsory lead paint standards, which exist to protect the population from harm. “We urge manufacturers to swiftly remove lead ingredients from their paint, and we will be taking steps to ensure compliance.”

Dr Lucia Coulter, Co-Executive Director of LEEP, said: “We applaud the Government of Pakistan’s leadership on lead policy, and look forward to supporting its enforcement efforts. LEEP is offering no-cost technical support to any partners in the industry who would like assistance in removing lead from their paint.”

Another expert, Dr Imran Saqib Khalid, Director of Governance and Policy at WWF-Pakistan, said Pakistan is estimated to have the second highest known level of childhood lead poisoning in the world. Reducing lead in paint is an effective and low-cost opportunity to improve child health, reduce poverty and contribute to the UN sustainable development goals, he added.

Another AKU health expert Dr Durr-e-Amna Siddiqui said lead is not a necessary ingredient in paint. “Data suggests that lead is primarily used in Pakistan’s paint as a pigment. However, safe alternative pigments are widely available, and many countries have successfully eliminated lead paint. The study showed that some brands in Pakistan have already removed lead ingredients.”