Stepping up public health safeguards, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has directed all paint manufacturers in the state to ensure that household and decorative paints comply with the prescribed limit for lead content and obtain certification from recognised laboratories before marketing their products.
The directions, issued on Thursday, are intended to strengthen the implementation of the Regulation of Lead Contents in Household and Decorative Paints Rules, 2016, notified by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change.
The rules prohibit the manufacture, sale, import and export of household and decorative paints containing lead beyond 90 parts per million (ppm).
According to the PPCB, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified lead as a chemical of major public health concern. Scientific studies have found that there is no safe level of lead exposure, with children absorbing lead more readily than adults, often resulting in irreversible damage to brain development and other vital organs.
Thus, PPCB has instructed its field offices to incorporate compliance with lead-content norms as a mandatory condition while granting or renewing consent to operate for paint manufacturing units.
Manufacturers will be required to obtain certification from recognised laboratories or accredited agencies confirming that their products meet the prescribed standards. Copies of these certificates must also be supplied to dealers and retailers to facilitate verification by regulatory authorities.
{{/usCountry}}Manufacturers will be required to obtain certification from recognised laboratories or accredited agencies confirming that their products meet the prescribed standards. Copies of these certificates must also be supplied to dealers and retailers to facilitate verification by regulatory authorities.
{{/usCountry}}PPCB chairperson Reena Gupta said the initiative will strengthen regulatory oversight and help protect public health, particularly that of children, who were far more vulnerable to the harmful effects of lead exposure.
“Lead exposure remains a serious but preventable public health risk. Even low levels of exposure can adversely affect neurological development, learning ability and overall health in children. Strict compliance with the prescribed standards is therefore essential,” she said.
The board noted that the Central Pollution Control Board has already prescribed testing and compliance procedures to ensure uniform implementation of the rules across the country.