EcoLur
International week of “Preventing Harmful Impact of Lead” was held in the world from 20-26 October. In the living conditions the presence of lead is recorded in enamel paints and toys imported into Armenia from China. Lead is in the list of top toxic heavy metals: it’s considered a persistent pollutant and may cause serious damage to health. "Lead is the cause of disease prevalence in 0.6% of cases of children’s diseases. Under World Health Organization’s data, over 600,000 new cases of children’s mental retardation have been detected over the world. Lead brings to 143,000 deaths per year,” said Amalya Hambardzumyan, President of “Khazer” environmental and cultural NGO during the open discussion at EcoLur Press Club. The organization was engaged in checking enamel paint for the content of lead and found out that in 77% of paints imported into Armenia the concentration of lead makes up over 1000 ppm (parts per million). "If to compare with the American standards, 90 ppm, the concentration of lead in the studied examples (over 77% of samples), which are sold in Armenia exceeds the USA standard by ten and hundred times," Amalya Hambardzumyan said. She also said that the imported paints and toys don’t pass any control for lead concentration, as the set standards are missing. "Some paints don’t have even basin information on them, while governmental bodies and Health and Economy Ministries don’t even react to it,” she said.
The discussion participant Qnarik Grigoryan, Doctor Expert at “Armenian Women for Health and Healthy Environment”, noted that the largest source of lead in Armenia is mining industry. Lead is detected in the products grown up near open mines and tailing dumps. “This year studies were carried out in the apricot gardens located between two tailing dumps, Akhtala and Chichkhan, and high concentration of lead has been detected there,” said independent expert Seyran Minasyan.
High concentration of lead is particularly hazardous for children up to 6 years old and for pregnant women. “Studies were carried out in the kindergartens in different areas of the town. High concentration of lead was detected in children’s hair in one of the kindergartens. Besides, this kindergarten had many toys of Chinese origin, no other features, I think the cause of high lead concentration is those toys,” the expert said.
October 28, 2013 at 14:16