You can rest easy. All Boysen paint products are lead safe. But what is it about lead that makes it so dangerous anyway? Why make sure the paint we use for our homes don’t contain any lead? Here’s what you need to know about lead, how it harms the body, and why you should make sure the paint you buy is certified lead safe.
What Is Lead
No, the black core of pencils is not made of lead. It has always been and likely will always be made of graphite, not lead—and that’s a good thing.
Lead is a toxic metal naturally occurring on our planet. Unfortunately, in the past, it was regularly used in the manufacturing of many products. This includes ceramics, stained glass, jewelry, toys, and water pipes. Notably, it was also heavily used in the production of paint. It was primarily added in paints as a pigment (specifically for white) and as a drying agent.
Today, efforts are being made in countries all over the world to ban lead use because of how dangerous it can be, especially for children.
The Very Harmful Effects of Lead
The World Health Organization lists the many serious health problems caused by lead exposure. In adults, lead exposure can lead to harmful cardiovascular effects, increased blood pressure, decreased kidney function, and problems with the reproductive system. In pregnant women, high levels of exposure can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, and low birth weight.
And take note, families: lead is especially damaging to children. The effects can be severe and permanent. Though lead can affect almost every system in the body, it can be particularly destructive to a child’s brain and nervous system.
Severe lead poisoning in children can lead to mental retardation, behavioral disorders, convulsion, and even death, per WHO. Even at very low levels, it can cause decreased intelligence, behavioral difficulties, and learning problems. In other areas of the body, lead exposure can lead to anemia, hypertension, and immunotoxicity.
How Lead Exposure Happens
There are two ways lead can get into the body. First is via inhalation through the burning of materials that contain lead. Second is via ingestion through lead-contaminated dust, water, and food.
With that said, how would you get lead exposure from paint? Paint with lead becomes dangerous when it starts to peel, flake, and chip off. With paint deterioration, the paint chips and dust-like particles containing lead are now loose in the home. It’s especially hazardous when on surfaces that are constantly touched or see wear-and-tear because of friction like doors and doorframes, windowsills, and stairs and railings.
Banning Lead in the Philippines
In 2013, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued the Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds (Administrative Order No. 2013-24). Its purpose was to ban lead from a range of products thereby preventing its harmful effects to both individuals and the environment.
Per the order, lead shall be strictly banned from the manufacturing and production of several items we regularly encounter day-to-day. This includes food packaging, water pipes, toys, school supplies, cosmetics, and paint.
Boysen, Your Choice for Lead Safe Pain
Here’s a bit of trivia. Boysen has always been actively finding ways to make its paint not only excellent in quality but also safe to use. Over a decade before the DENR mandatory regulation was issued, Boysen had already voluntarily removed lead-containing raw materials from its paint products.
So, when DENR required paint companies to remove lead from their products, Boysen had been doing it for more than 10 years. In 2016, Boysen earned its Lead Safe Paint certification from the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN). The certification ensures that all Boysen paints meet not only Philippine regulatory requirements but also the world’s strictest regulatory standard for lead content in paint. Boysen has been certified lead safe every year ever since.
Boysen is steadfast in its promise to provide safe, high-quality paint to consumers—from the DIY enthusiast to the professional painter, and everyone who uses painted spaces which means everyone. Lead poisoning and its serious health consequences are preventable. Thankfully, the DENR and paint companies like Boysen have your back.
We’re here to help! For inquiries or to learn more about on any of our products, send us an email at ask@myboysen.com or call us at (02) 8363-9738 local 413 to 418 during office hours for a one-on-one consultation.