Lead in Enamel Decorative Paints

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Publication Date: 2013

This study, released during the International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action, analyses enamel decorative paints from nine countries: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Chile, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia and Uruguay. The report finds that the majority of the paints tested would not meet regulatory standards established in most highly industrialized countries— for example, 90 parts per million (ppm) in the United States and Canada—and that some contain astonishingly high and dangerous levels of lead. The report therefore recommends action in three distinct areas: regulatory frameworks, public awareness and voluntary action and labelling.