The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental group in Manila said that some statues of the child Jesus they tested in Manila contained toxic lead.
According to a post on the group’s blog on Sunday, they purchased 10 statues around the Quiapo and Tondo areas, which were celebrating the Feast of Santo Niño (the Holy Child Jesus).
Five of the 10 statues they purchased contained 252 to 3,944 parts per million (ppm) of lead. This is way above the maximum allowable limit of 90 ppm.
“We appeal to religious craft makers to ensure that only lead safe paints are used for religious statues and figurines in keeping with the law that seeks to protect human health and the environment against the toxic effects of lead,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition. “Religious devotion need not be associated with a chemical poison,” Dizon added.
Lead paint had already been banned in 2013.
The group said that religious craftsman should be able to find lead-free paint easily.
“As the Feast of the Santo Niño is celebrated today, we urge religious craft businesses to commit to producing and selling only lead-free items that are guaranteed safe for the faithful, especially the children, to kiss and touch,” the group said in a statement.
The paint poses a risk as many Filipinos practice touching or kissing the icons and wiping handkerchiefs on them. “This may cause their paint coatings to deteriorate and come off over time, creating lead chip or dust that children may ingest or inhale.”
The World Health Organization identified lead as one of 10 chemicals of major public health concern, needing action by Member States to protect the health of workers, children, and women of reproductive age.
