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Study finds unsafe lead concentration in paint on playground equipment
A study conducted by Bali Fokus/Nexus3 Foundation, an environmental health NGO, found that at least 69 percent of playground equipment had a lead concentration over 90 parts per million (ppm), which is the national standard deemed safe for children.
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Children play at the integrated child-friendly space near Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East Jakarta on May 28, 2019. A study conducted by Bali Fokus/Nexus3 Foundation found that at least 69 percent of playground equipment had a lead concentration over 90 parts per million, which is the national standard deemed safe for children. (The Jakarta Post/P.J. Leo)
T
he bright and colorful playground equipment and toys in Jakarta’s parks and green spaces may pose a danger in the long term, as a study has revealed that most of the paint used on the equipment contains a high level of lead that can be dangerous if it accumulates in the human body.
A study conducted by Bali Fokus/Nexus3 Foundation, an environmental health NGO, found that at least 69 percent of playground equipment had a lead concentration over 90 parts per million (ppm), which is the national standard deemed safe for children.
The 90 ppm lead limit is based on Indonesian National Standard (SNI) ISO 8124-1 enforced since 2014, which stipulates that the concentration of lead in paint must be less than 90 ppm.
The study surveyed 32 parks in Jakarta that have playground equipment such as swings, seesaws and jungle gyms using an X-ray fluorescence portable analyzer in September and October 2019.
The study found that out of 119 pieces of playground equipment surveyed in those parks, 82 had a lead concentration of over 90 ppm. Of those, 81 or 79 percent were brightly colored. Yellow ones were found to have the highest concentration of lead at 4,170 ppm.
“This means there are toxic substances everywhere [in the playground]. If [the paint] peels off and is inhaled, it can be dangerous for children,” a researcher at Nexus 3 Sonia Buftheim told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The World Health Organization has defined lead as a cumulative toxicant that can affect multiple body systems such as the nervous system, blood and blood vessel system, digestive system and urinary system. Young children are more prone to lead exposure than adults.
