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We seem to be surrounded by toxic things.
“The EcoWaste Coalition announced that some colorful ref magnets and cord holders for electronic devices sold in Divisoria, Manila, have been found to contain high levels of lead,” reports Maricar B. Brizuela in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The group had tested six ref magnets, which cost PHP10 each and 15 cord holders priced at PHP35 each.
The EcoWaste Coalition’s Project Protect coordinator Thony Dizon said in a press statement, “The brightly painted magnets [shaped like animals] and cord holders [featuring cartoon characters] tested positive for lead, a toxic chemical added to some paints and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics.”
Dizon added: “The colorful animal figures attached to round magnets are individually packed in clear plastic and carried no labeling details, depriving consumers of their right to basic product information while the cord holders designed with iconic cartoon characters are incompletely labeled.”
The report noted: “Dizon explained that the group used a portable X-ray fluorescence device to test the samples which were found to contain up to 18,100 parts per million (ppm) of lead, way above the 90 ppm limit set for decorative paints.”
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