Colombo (LNW): Substandard and cheaply imported school stationery and plastic food carriers, widely used by schoolchildren, pose severe health risks, Dr. Mahinda Wickramarachchi, Head of Quality Control Unit at Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital (LRH) warned.
Despite complaints, a recent study revealed that these materials contain heavy metals, endangering children’s lives.
Items such as pencils, coloring pencils, plastic water bottles, food carriers, and lunch boxes violate international standards, exposing children to hazardous chemicals.
Parents are urged to scrutinise products for compliance with safety codes, Dr. Wickramarachchi went on, emphasising the potential dangers of heavy metals and chemicals, including Bisphenol A (BPA).
“There are health standards for all these items especially an international standard called EN71-3 for children’s stationery and toys. These stationery and toys should be painted with colors that should not include any heavy metals,” he noted.
“We know when little children use these pencils they tend to put them in the mouth or bite the end, which inevitably results in hazardous chemicals or heavy metals entering their biological system,” Daily Mirror quoted the specialist.
“There is a safety code for plastic ware especially used to contain food or consumable liquids. The plastic ware is internationally standardised from 01, 02, 03, 04 and 05. The standard 05 is the one for food or water carriers and the parents should be mindful when buying their children’s water bottles to check for this figure under the container,” he added.
“The plastic ware contains a very hazardous chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA), that could even cause cancerous cells in children over time. Therefore, the parents should be concerned about these health facts, when buying stationery items for their children’s next school season,” Dr. Wickramarachchi pointed out.
