Laboratory Tests Confirm Toxic Lead in 3 Paints Discovered by EcoWaste Coalition

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17 January 2026, Quezon City.  Laboratory analyses detected lead above the legal limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) in three imported paints purchased by the EcoWaste Coalition from a local online seller, rendering them illegal for importation, distribution, and sale in the Philippines.  

Based on the test reports provided by SGS, a global testing company, the submitted samples of green, beige, and orange Nasmc Spray Paint contained 7,460 ppm, 10,000 ppm, and 30,500 ppm of lead, respectively.

The Chemical Control Order (CCO) for lead and its compounds issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 2013 established a strict 90 ppm maximum limit for lead in all paints, including spray paints. The CCO further set phase-out deadlines for lead-containing decorative and industrial paints, which ended on December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2019, respectively.

As stamped on the bottom of the paint cans, all three products were manufactured on June 25, 2025, which is well past the phase-out deadlines, the EcoWaste Coalition pointed out.

Bought for P141 per 450 mL can from a Shopee dealer, Nasmc Spray Paint provided no lead content information or lead in paint hazard warning on its label to forewarn consumers. The name of the manufacturer and the country of manufacture were also not disclosed.  However, the label described the product, usage, and emergency instructions.

The three lead-containing Nasmc products will be added to the “Public Notice on Lead-Containing Paints” co-published by the EcoWaste Coalition, International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), and the Philippine Paint and Coatings Association, Inc. (PPCAI). The notice currently lists 228 laboratory-tested lead-containing paints, mostly marked "made in China" or "made in Thailand."

The persistent sale of imported spray paints with lead content prompted the EcoWaste Coalition to advise consumers to be vigilant and refrain from purchasing paints with poor labeling information and lacking verifiable proof of compliance with the CCO’s lead content limit.

Lead-containing paints are a major source of lead exposure among children globally. “There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects," according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which has included lead among the ten chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern, along with arsenic, asbestos, benzene, cadmium, dioxins, mercury, highly hazardous pesticides, etc

Lead is a powerful multi-system poison that harms numerous bodily systems and organs, including the brain and central nervous system. Exposure during early childhood, when the developing brain is most vulnerable, is particularly dangerous, as it can lead to lower intelligence quotients (IQ), inattentiveness, impaired learning ability, conduct disorder, aggression, and other behavioral problems. 

To address the unlawful entry of lead-containing paints in the Philippines, the EcoWaste Coalition is campaigning for stronger measures to stop lead paint imports, including the listing of lead chromates as hazardous chemicals in the Rotterdam Convention to control the global trade of these common lead-based pigments and paints containing such pigments.

How a Surge Protection Device Safeguards Your Electrical Equipment

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Modern homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities depend on sensitive electrical instruments, digital systems, and automated equipment to operate safely and efficiently. These devices are exposed daily to transient voltage disturbances caused by lightning strikes, switching operations, overloaded circuits, or utility grid instability.

Even brief surges can damage components, corrupt data, shorten equipment lifespan, or halt critical processes. As electrical demands grow across all sectors, understanding surge protection becomes essential to maintaining system reliability. Many facilities rely on advanced surge protection devices for comprehensive equipment protection, ensuring safer operation and improved long-term performance across their power infrastructure.

Why Voltage Surges Occur in Electrical Systems

Voltage surges occur when the electrical supply experiences a sudden, temporary increase in voltage. These events can enter a building through power lines, communication cables, or internal switching actions.

Sensitive equipment such as servers, automation controllers, medical devices, and control panels can malfunction when subjected to excessive voltage. Surges often result from lightning, transformer switching, motor starting, or faults on nearby circuits.

Even small fluctuations accumulate over time and degrade insulation, contacts, and electronic components. Installing these protection devices helps facilities reduce these risks significantly and maintain equipment health.

How Surge Protection Devices Work

A surge protection device acts as a safety barrier between incoming power sources and connected electrical equipment. It diverts excessive voltage away from sensitive circuits to grounding paths, helping maintain a stable operating voltage.

When a surge occurs, these devices respond within microseconds, clamping the voltage to safe levels. This rapid reaction prevents destructive energy from reaching equipment and reduces the likelihood of operational interruptions. Once the disturbance passes, the device resets automatically and continues monitoring system conditions.

Protecting Sensitive Equipment and Critical Operations

Sensitive equipment requires controlled voltage to function correctly. Without proper protection, frequent surges can damage internal components, trigger costly repairs, or lead to complete equipment failure. Many industries deploy surge protection devices to protect automation panels, measurement instruments, robotics, HVAC drives, servers, and communication devices.

By reducing exposure to electrical stress, these devices help extend equipment lifespan and maintain stable performance. This ensures safer operations in environments where uptime, accuracy, and continuous service matter.

Reducing Downtime and Operational Losses

Unexpected downtime can disrupt production schedules, affect customer services, and increase maintenance expenses. A well-engineered surge protection device helps prevent unexpected power-related failures that interrupt operations.

Facilities that employ these protection devices experience fewer shutdowns caused by voltage disturbances. This improved reliability supports business continuity, reduces reactive maintenance, and stabilizes long-term operational planning across production lines or commercial environments.

Supporting Layered Protection Strategies

Surge protection works best when deployed across multiple points in the electrical system. Engineers incorporate surge protection devices at main panels, subpanels, and equipment-level distribution boards to strengthen overall defense against disturbances. Layered installation ensures harmful energy is intercepted before reaching sensitive circuits.

This approach supports better coordination among breakers, grounding networks, and protective devices across the facility. When combined with proper grounding, isolation transformers, and stable power supply equipment, these protection devices form a strong foundation for electrical safety and dependability.

Enhancing System Safety and Compliance

Electrical safety regulations require protection against transient overvoltage conditions in many industrial and commercial applications. Installing a reliable surge protection device supports compliance with these standards and helps protect workers, equipment, and building infrastructure.

These devices incorporate robust internal components designed to withstand high-energy disturbances while maintaining performance across demanding environments. Regular inspections and proper placement further strengthen safety across the facility.

Ensuring Future-ready Protection for Growing Electrical Demands

As organizations add more digital equipment, automation tools, and energy-sensitive devices, surge protection becomes increasingly important. A high-quality surge protection device supports expanding electrical systems and offers scalable protection for future loads.

Advanced models provide diagnostic indicators, replaceable modules, and enhanced clamping performance that support long-term protection strategies. This ensures equipment remains safe as technology evolves.

Protect What Matters with Dependable Surge Protection Technology

A dependable surge protection device becomes essential for safeguarding electrical equipment, maintaining uptime, and supporting operational confidence. By partnering with a reputable electrical brand, organizations gain access to engineered protection solutions, expert guidance, and long-term service support.

With the right partner, facilities can deploy durable surge protection strategies that strengthen reliability, reduce failure risks, and support safer, more efficient electrical environments. This investment helps future-proof operations as electrical demands continue to grow.

 

The Age of Competition: Navigating the Precipice of 2026

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The world has entered a "darkening outlook". As we stand in 2026, the global community finds itself on a jagged precipice, moving away from a decade of "polycrisis" into a starker, more confrontational era defined as the Age of Competition. The Global Risks Report 2026 reveals a planet where the very mechanisms of cooperation are crumbling, replaced by a "contested multipolar landscape" where confrontation is the new currency.

A World in Turbulence: The Short-Term Storm

The immediate future looks increasingly grim. Half of the global experts and leaders surveyed anticipate a "turbulent" or "stormy" outlook over the next two years—a significant 14 percentage-point increase in pessimism compared to the previous year.

At the heart of this storm lies Geoeconomic confrontation. No longer a background tension, it has surged to become the #1 risk most likely to trigger a global crisis in 2026. This "weaponization of everything"—from sanctions and capital restrictions to the deliberate disruption of systemically important supply chains—threatens the core of the interconnected global economy.

Parallel to economic warfare, the specter of State-based armed conflict looms large, ranking as the second most immediate threat. As nations turn inward and strategic competition intensifies, the "rules and institutions that have long underpinned stability are increasingly deadlocked or ineffective".

The Economic Reckoning: Bubbles and Debt

While geopolitical fires burn, an economic reckoning is gathering pace. Economic risks have seen the sharpest rises in concern:

Economic downturn and Inflation have both jumped eight positions in the global risk rankings.

Asset bubble bursts have climbed seven positions, fueled by mounting debt sustainability concerns.

Roughly one-third of global corporate debt must be refinanced between 2025 and 2027, even as interest payments drain funds away from productive investment.

Technological Shadows: From Misinformation to AI

Technology remains a double-edged sword. While it drives innovation, it is also a primary source of instability:

Misinformation and Disinformation rank as the #2 most severe risk over the next two years, acting as a corrosive force on social cohesion.

Adverse outcomes of AI technologies represent the most dramatic climber in the report, leaping from the 30th position in the short term to the 5th most severe risk over the next decade. Experts fear AI will become a "systemic force" shaping security and labor markets in unpredictable ways.

The Long-Term Horizon: Environmental and Social Decay

As short-term crises demand immediate attention, the report warns of a dangerous "reprioritization" of long-term threats.

Environmental Risks: While extreme weather events have slipped slightly in short-term priority, they dominate the 10-year horizon. Extreme weather, Biodiversity loss, and Critical change to Earth systems occupy the top three spots for the next decade. Over 75% of respondents view the long-term environmental outlook as "turbulent" or "stormy".

The Fraying Social Contract: Inequality has been identified as the most interconnected global risk of the decade. As the gap between citizens and governments widens, "societal polarization" (ranked #3 in the short term) continues to undermine the collective action needed to solve global problems.

Conclusion: A Range of Trajectories

The Global Risks Report 2026 is not a prophecy of doom, but a call to action. It emphasizes that "the future is not a single, fixed path but a range of possible trajectories". While 57% of leaders expect a stormy decade ahead, the remaining 43% see a path toward resilience—if, and only if, the world can find new, pragmatic forms of cooperation amid this intense competition. The decisions made today will determine whether the world recovers its footing or slides further over the edge.