Blog: A Call to Action against Lead in our Products from Prithvi Innovations
- ruchira nigam
- Oct 25
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 28
Blog No. 3125/PI - Written by -
Ms. Anuradha Gupta, Founder General Secretary, Prithvi Innovations
No safe level: Act now to end lead exposure!
At Prithvi Innovations, we believe a truly beautiful home is one that’s safe and sustainable. In continuation of our last Blogs, exposing the Silent Killer - Mercury in Skin -lightening creams, and the one on E-waste & toxic chemicals in our E-waste (https://www.prithviinnovations.org/post/from-digital-dump-to-digital-dividend-call-by-prithvi-innovations-to-youth-to-be-young-leaders-to-d), the current blog aims to share how we, along with other participating organizations of International Pollutants Elimination Network - IPEN (IPEN is a global network of public interest organizations improving chemical policies and raising public awareness to ensure that hazardous substances are no longer produced, used, or disposed of in ways that harm human health and the environment -https://www.ipen.org/ ).
Members have been working to end the use of lead paint since 2007 and have been active in organizing International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) activities since the inception of the week of action in 2013. (https://ipen.org/projects/international-lead-poisoning-prevention-week-2025)
This year, too IPEN members in over thirty countries are taking part in the week of action, with activities including testing childcare centers for lead paint in Thailand, advocating for the urgent signing of a decree regulating lead in paint in Benin, using lead-safe paints to create a mural in a public park in the Philippines, testing paints for lead in Argentina, and many others.
Since 2007, IPEN member groups have collected and analyzed more than 5,000 paints in 59 countries and conducted awareness raising using the testing data. This work has supported development and adoption of lead paint regulations in more than 30 countries, with close to 40 more countries developing regulations. But more work needs to be done to end lead paint globally, including by regulating the trade in lead chromates.
“Our work has demonstrated the value of regulations to ban lead paint – in many countries, our testing has shown that regulations have resulted in reductions in lead paints sold,” said Jeiel Guarino, IPEN’s Global Lead Paint Elimination Campaigner. “During this year’s International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action, we must address the double-standard that allows wealthy countries to export lead chromates and regulate this toxic trade. It’s time to finish the job and ban lead paint to stop this poisoning of our children.”
As part of the global ILPPW campaign 2025 (19th Oct to 25th Oct.) our current blog aims to provide information & spread awareness about the hazards of lead in paints by highlighting the findings of a recent study by Toxicslink in India (read the full blog for more details)
As IPEN, member as we approach the Minamata COP-6, let’s amplify our voices for stricter monitoring, transparent labelling, and education on chemical safety.
Together, we can paint a healthier future for our children—free from lead, free from mercury, and full of awareness.
Please join and support us in this mission. You too can contribute a lot by sharing this blog & our Social media posts related to Lead in your network.
Instagram Post Links -
LinkedIn Post Links -
Further you can invite us to conduct special workshops or sessions for Youth on these important issues.
Please refer to the last year Campaign Video -
Please read the full blog here:
Lead in Household Paints: The Hidden Poison on Our Walls
Unmasking the danger in solvent-based paints for home use across India
As the world prepares for the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention on Mercury, global attention is turning to toxic substances that quietly invade our homes and harm our health. While mercury in cosmetics has sparked widespread concern, another silent intruder—lead in household paints—continues to threaten Indian families, especially young children.
Recent findings by Toxics Link, an IPEN Participating Organization (PO) in India, expose alarming levels of lead in paints still being sold for home use, despite existing regulations and safer alternatives.
What Did the Study Reveal?
Between February and May 2023, researchers from Toxics Link conducted a nation-wide market survey and testing initiative. They collected 51 solvent-based paints (46 enamel decorative paints and five enamel spray paints) from 10 Indian cities, as well as from popular e-commerce platforms. These paints represented 40 different brands produced by 39 manufacturers.
The paints were tested by an independent laboratory, and the results were deeply concerning:
90% (46 out of 51) of the paints contained lead above the safe limit of 90 ppm (parts per million).
76% (39 paints) had extremely high lead levels—10,000 ppm or more.
The highest concentration recorded was a staggering 250,000 ppm in a yellow enamel decorative paint sold for household use.
To put that in perspective, the legal limit for lead in paint in countries like the U.S., Canada, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Philippines is 90 ppm—the same benchmark India should be enforcing.
Why Lead in Paints is a Public Health Emergency
Lead is a potent neurotoxin. Unlike some toxins that degrade or dissipate, lead lingers in our environment for decades. When used in household paints, it can chip, peel, or turn to dust—entering the air we breathe and the food we eat.
The most vulnerable are children.
Lead exposure can impair brain development, lower IQ, and cause learning disabilities.
Even small amounts can trigger behavioural issues, attention problems, and hearing loss.
In pregnant women, lead can cross the placenta, harming the developing fetus.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no safe level of lead exposure. The damage is often irreversible.
Where Does the Danger Lurk?
Lead is often added to solvent-based paints because it:
Provides bright, lasting colours (especially yellows, reds, and greens)
Speeds up drying time
Improves durability
However, modern technology offers safe, lead-free alternatives that perform just as well. In fact, five paints tested in the same study were found to be lead-free, proving that the capability to produce safe paint exists in India.
The issue, therefore, is not lack of technology—it’s lack of enforcement and awareness.
Why Are Toxic Paints Still Sold?
Despite regulatory limits in India, non-compliant and unlabelled paints continue to flood both physical stores and online marketplaces.Key factors include:
Weak implementation of the lead paint regulation
Lack of consumer awareness
Absence of mandatory third-party certification
Unregulated imports and small-scale manufacturing that evade monitoring
As a result, even well-intentioned families unknowingly bring home toxic products—literally painting danger onto their walls.
The Global Context
India is a signatory to international efforts to eliminate toxic chemicals, including the Minamata Convention on Mercury and the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (GAELP) led by UNEP and WHO.
While several countries—Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines—have already implemented stringent lead paint standards, India’s market still shows large-scale non-compliance. The situation calls for urgent collaboration between government, industry, and civil society.
What Can You Do?
Here’s how every citizen can make a difference:
Choose lead-free paints — Look for certification or eco-labels that specify “Lead Safe” or “No Added Lead.” Avoid bright yellow, red, and orange shades in low-cost enamel paints unless verified lead-free. Ask your dealer or supplier for proof of compliance.
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