EU-funded lead paint elimination project launched
View(s):The Sri Lanka part of the European Union (EU)-funded IPEN Asian Lead Paint Elimination Project was launched in Colombo on Tuesday.
The project aims at eliminating lead in paint and raising widespread awareness among business entrepreneurs and consumers about the adverse human health impacts of lead-based decorative paints, particularly on the health of children under six years old.
The project is being implemented in seven different countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) with a total EU funding of EUR 1.4 million over a period of three years by IPEN – an international network with 700 participating organizations working in 116 countries that promotes safe chemical policies and practices aimed at protecting human health and environment.
In a media release, the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) said it will implement this project through awareness programs, monitoring and advocacy. “It was a great achievement of CEJ to initiate a campaign on this matter in order to bring up the mandatory standards for lead level in paints, also will ensure the success of this effort bringing paint market in Sri Lanka to be recognized as lead-free globally,” CEJ said.
Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of the CEJ said that obtaining mandatory lead paint-standards is a victory of the born and unborn children in Sri Lanka considering the serious health impacts cause by adding lead into the paint. In 2009 CEJ found as high as 135,000 ppm of lead in some local enamel paint brands whereas the permissible limit will be 600 ppm starting January 2013, he added.
Follow @timesonlinelk
Related Posts:
CICRA-PMI Colombo Sri Lanka chapter partnerIn a significant move to promote project management training in Sri Lanka, CICRA Education and Project Management Institute Colombo Sri ...
For the sweet toothA clever new campaign launched recently will engage children in the fight against juvenile diabetes. Its been named ‘Seeni Meanie’ – ...
Former US diplomat joins US advisory to lead South Asian operationsBowerGroupAsia (BGA), a top Southeast Asia-focused business advisory company in the US, said this week that former U.S. Ambassador to ...
China and US ‘secretly tested genetically modified rice on children’China's health authorities are investigating allegations that genetically modified rice has been tested on Chinese children as part of a ...
Teacher-pupil duo makes wavesIt was a guru-gola (teacher-student) effort that led to Sri Lanka gaining prominence at an international Environmental Olympiad held recently. With ...