A new study has found excessive amounts of lead in some decorative paints marketed and used in the country, increasing the risks of different ailments, particularly of the nerves and brain.
According to its findings, some decorative paints it studied contained lead as much as 1,90,000 parts per million鈥攐ver 2,000 times higher than the nationally acceptable level of 90ppm.
The Environment and Social Development Organisation revealed these findings at a press briefing at its Dhaka office on Tuesday.
The organisation said that the study was conducted in collaboration with the United States-based non-profit Lead Exposure Elimination Project and international development organization Instiglio, supported by UNICEF Bangladesh and Bangladesh Standard Testing Institution,
According to the study titled 鈥淐olors of Concern: Assessing Lead in Paints and Progress Toward a Lead-Safe Bangladesh,鈥� about 42.2 percent of 161 paint samples exceeded the legal limit, while 26.2 percent contained more than 1,000 ppm of lead.
The Kangaroo brand recorded the highest level (190,000 ppm), followed by Euro (170,000 ppm). Most of these highly contaminated paints were yellow or golden-yellow oil-based decorative products.
Experts said that excessive exposure to lead 鈥� particularly in children 鈥� can damage the brain and nervous system, cause learning disabilities, and impair overall development.
ESDO senior technical adviser Dr Shahriar Hossain said the findings highlight the urgent need to enforce existing laws. 鈥淥ur aim is not to blame anyone but to address a shared crisis where safety must be a non-negotiable part of daily life,鈥� he said.
ESDO executive director Siddika Sultana urged collaboration between regulators and small manufacturers to eliminate lead use, while BSTI officials admitted to procedural challenges in ensuring compliance.
The study also found that only 21.6 per cent of paints carried a 鈥渓ead-free鈥� or 鈥渆co-friendly鈥� label. Many shop owners remain unaware of BSTI鈥檚 standards, and imported products also showed high contamination, indicating weak customs monitoring.
Though multinational brands such as Berger, Asian Paints, Nippon, and Elite complied with safety standards, smaller local and unregistered manufacturers were found to be major violators.
Experts and campaigners called for stricter enforcement, mandatory labeling, and routine testing to prevent widespread health hazards and to move toward a lead-free Bangladesh.
