Lead (Pb) is a metallic element and is highly toxic in all its forms, especially to young children. It is a known neurotoxin which damages, destroys or impairs the function of the nervous system. As per the WHO report lead accounts for about 0.6% of the global burden of disease (WHO 2009).

Full report of WHO: http://www.who.int/ceh/publications/leadguidance.pdf

Scientific evidences have also established that children are the most vulnerable population and can be seriously impacted even at very low levels of lead in blood. The adverse effects of lead exposure in children include intellectual and behavioral deficits making lead exposure an important public health concern with huge social and economic cost to nations.

Lead based paints have since long been associated with elevated blood lead levels in children and a cause of serious health concern. Many countries across the globe have either phased out lead from paints or have put standards to regulate and control lead content in paints. Though lead free ingredients are available in India, yet many paint companies still use lead as an additive.

Toxics Link, a Delhi-based non-profit environmental group, has been working on the issue of lead in paints since 2006. It has come up with various studies such as A Brush with Toxics: An Investigation on Lead in Household Paints in India, Dusty Toxics: A Study on Lead in Household Dust in Delhi, Double Standard: Investigating Lead Content in Leading Enamel Paint Brands In South Asia and National Report: Lead in India’s Enamel Household Paints. These reports indicate high lead content in paints sold in India.

Message By Shah Rukh Khan for South East Asia Regional Conference on Lead Poisoning

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), in December 2013, revised the standards for lead in paints and issued a new standard of 90 ppm for lead content in decorative paints. However the current BIS standard is voluntary in nature. Thus the manufacturers are under no compulsion to comply with the set standard. Hence lead exposure will continue to be a cause of concern for children’s health.

Notification for mandatory lead standard for household paints will be an important and critical driver in production and marketing of lead safe paints in India, and protect our children from the adverse effects of lead exposure.

In this regard, we seek your support for issue of mandatory standard for lead in paints by the concerned ministries of the Government of India. Your support will be helpful to minimize the risk of lead exposure among the children and will benefit the society at large.

Please sign this petition in support of “Elimination of Lead from Paints in India”. Also, do forward this mail to your friends and colleagues and ask them to join the campaign.

Thank you for all your support.

Regards,

Toxics Link