AN ENVIRONMENTAL health group was alarmed after toxic chemicals were found in some school supplies.

EcoWaste Coalition National Coordinator Aileen Lucero said that they gathered 85 school supplies from different suppliers for heavy metal screening.

Of these, 38 tested positive for lead and cadmium.

“Our recent market investigation shows that school supplies and accessories made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or vinyl plastic and those coated with paint may contain toxic cadmium and lead, and are sold with no warning labels,” Lucero said.

Lead and cadmium belong to the World Health Organization’s list of 10 chemicals of major public health concern, she said.

“These hazardous substances are also included in the country’s Priority Chemical List consisting of chemicals which the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has established to potentially pose unreasonable risk to public health, workplace and the environment,” Lucero said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Geminn Louis Apostol of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health warned that these hazardous chemicals must be avoided.

“Young children are at greater risk of exposure to these toxicants compared to adults because their brains and organs are not yet fully developed and they tend to put objects into their mouths. Exposure to lead, in particular, can damage a child’s brain and nervous system, slow growth and development, and cause learning, speaking and hearing difficulties and behavioral problems,” Apostol said.