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United Nations Environment Programme
  • Overview
  • Impacts
  • Testing
  • Paint Industry
  • Developing a Law
  • Case Studies
  • Key Takeaways

Overview: The Importance of Addressing Lead Paint

This toolkit was developed and updated by the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (Lead Paint Alliance), including partners representing industry, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations and government representatives. Building on the 2016 version, it is designed to provide information for stakeholders who wish to know more about different aspects on the development of lead paint laws and to galvanize action.

There are technically feasible alternatives to lead paint. Lead poisoning from lead in paint is preventable.

In this toolkit, each module presents the key aspects of addressing and eliminating lead paint. Where available, additional resources are provided to deepen the knowledge on the specific topics presented.

 

Users are invited to browse the different tabs highlighting each key theme to view the full set of resources available.

MODULE A-1: The Need for Regulating Lead Paint

Module A-1 iconMakes the case for why and how countries should take action to ban lead paint. (WHO)

Additional resources:

MODULE A-2: Overview of Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint and Global Status of Laws

Module A-2 iconPresents the voluntary partnership established to address the lead paint issue, the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, and the status of lead paint laws globally.

Additional Resources:

MODULE A-3: Paint Basics

Module A-3Explains basic information about paint, including how it is formulated, why lead is used in paint and a brief overview about how it can be reformulated to substitute other ingredients. More detailed information on reformulation can be found in “Alternatives to Lead Paint.”

Impacts of Lead Exposure

Lead is a human health hazard with toxic effects on almost all body systems and it is especially harmful for children and pregnant women. It also causes adverse effects on the environment. No safe level of exposure to lead has been identified.

MODULE B-1: The Health Impacts of Lead Exposure

Module B-1 iconProvides key information on the health hazards and impacts of lead on individuals and society as a whole; how people can become exposed to lead paint; the short- and long-term health effects of lead; and the segments of the population that are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure.

Additional Resources:

MODULE B-2: Environmental Impacts of Lead

Module B-2 iconDescribes the sources of lead releases, the environmental impacts of lead and negative effects on organisms. 

Additional Resources:



MODULE B-3: Economic Costs of Childhood Lead Exposure

Module C-3 iconDescribes the estimated economic costs of childhood lead exposure at both regional and national level.

Additional Resources:

Testing for Lead in Paint and Blood

In order to determine the need for or to monitor the success of lead exposure prevention and control measures, it can be helpful to conduct blood lead testing. Lead paint testing can be useful in raising awareness about the need for lead paint laws and can facilitate effective enforcement of lead paint laws.

MODULE C-1: Analytical Methods for Measuring Lead in Blood

Module C-1 iconDescribes methods for measuring lead concentrations in blood in order to assess lead exposure.

Additional resource:

MODULE C-2: Analytical Methods for Measuring Lead in Paint

Module C-2 iconOutlines different methods for measuring lead in paint in existing paint and new paint, and the reasons for choosing a particular method; describes how to carry out a paint market study to determine the lead content in paint on the local market.

Additional resource:

MODULE C-3: Summary of Lead in Paint Testing in Low and Middle Income Countries

Module C-3 iconSummarizes the results of testing for lead in decorative and anticorrosive paints, as well as paint found in spray cans and the presence of paints without added lead on the market. Testing was conducted by the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) with NGO partners in selected countries around the world.

Additional resource:

Working with the Paint Industry

From an industry perspective, paint reformulation to remove lead-compounds is entirely possible. Manufacturers can meet a low limit on the total lead content to comply with a regulation by developing formulations that do not intentionally use any lead raw materials and by taking care to avoid lead-contaminated raw materials, which is feasible in most cases. Obstacles to reformulation have been identified for some small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in reformulating their paints; however, solutions have also been identified as to how these can be overcome.

MODULE D-1: Industry Perspective: Restricting Lead Use in Paint

Module D-1 iconOutlines the global paint industry views about and support for paint reformulation.

Additional resource:

MODULE D-2: Challenges to SMEs

Module D-2 iconDiscusses the role of, and motivations and challenges faced by some SMEs – and how governments can facilitate SMEs efforts to remove lead in paint. This 2016 version will be updated when a new version is available.

 

MODULE D-3: Alternatives to Lead in Paint

Module D-3 iconThis module includes an overview of existing lead-free raw materials and comparative prices of paint using lead-free raw materials compared to lead containing paint in various markets. This 2016 version will be updated when a new version is available.

MODULE D-4: Technical Guidelines and Case Studies on Paint Reformulation (to be added)

Module D-4 iconSummarizes key takeaways on reformulation from the technical guidelines on paint reformulation, developed by the National Cleaner Production Centre of Serbia. The guidelines help address capacity constraints and technical barriers to the substitution of lead compounds in paints. It focuses on how to achieve effective and efficient reformulation of lead paint.

Additional resource:

Development and Awareness Raising in support of a Lead Paint Law

When a country is ready to take action to eliminate lead paint, developing a lead paint law is a key step and awareness-raising can be helpful in moving the process forward and in promoting compliance with an existing law. Assessing options for the development of a lead paint law, developing and reviewing a draft law and conducting a public review process are all important aspects in development of a lead paint law. Raising and maintaining awareness, including about the hazards of lead and the feasibility of lead paint reformulation, is important to stimulate action toward laws by governments, enterprises, civil society and other stakeholders.

MODULE E-1: Developing Legal Limits on Lead in Paint

Module E-1 iconDescribes the key elements of an effective and enforceable lead paint law to establish legal limits on lead content in paint or for updating existing regulations. These elements are reflected in the UNEP Model Law and Guidance for Regulating Lead Paint, a tool developed by the Lead Paint Alliance to assist countries in establishing and implementing regulations on lead paint.

MODULE E-2: The Model Law: Testing Requirements and Implications for Industry Compliance and Lab Capacity

Module E-2 icon(Russian version available on request, please email lead-cadmiumchemicals@un.org and noleadinpaint@who.int)

Describes the role of testing in the Model Law, including the enforcement mechanisms building on testing, and addresses the importance of market forces to facilitate industry compliance and the development of laboratory capacity.

Additional resources:

MODULE E-3: Conducting awareness-raising campaigns on lead: International Lead Poisoning Prevention week of action

Module E-3Provides information on how to organize an advocacy or awareness-raising campaign, resources available for the annual International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week of Action (ILPPW). Also provides campaign materials and examples of activities.

Additional resources:

Case Studies on Existing Lead Paint Laws

Many countries have enacted laws or regulations to control the manufacture, use and sale of paints with lead. These case studies are provided to demonstrate various perspectives from countries and regional groups that have worked to prevent exposure to lead from paint through the implementation of lead paint laws.

MODULE F-1: European Union Case Study

MODULE F-2: Israel Case Study

MODULE F-3: Peru Case Study

MODULE F-4: Philippines Case Study

MODULE F-5: United States Case Study

MODULE F-6: Uruguay Case Study (2016 version)

The following points are compiled from the modules and key documents presented in this toolkit. They aim to highlight takeaways and next steps for stakeholders to keep in mind while working on a lead paint law, regardless of their level of advancement.

Benefits iconBenefits of addressing lead paint as a source of exposure

  • Reducing lead exposure results in decreased permanent negative impacts to children’s developing brains, linked to lower economic costs.
  • Removing or preventing lead paint as a source of exposure has significant health, environmental and economic benefits

Testing iconTesting for lead in blood and paint

  • When measuring levels of lead in paint or lead in blood, quality assurance procedures are important to ensure the reliability of analytical results.
  • Blood testing is most appropriate for determining general lead exposure.
  • Selecting methods to use for blood testing can be influenced by the availability of the resources and the limit of detection required. The results should be validated by laboratory measurement when using portable devices to guide clinical management of lead in blood.
  • Lead paint testing can be an important awareness raising tool.
  • Lead paint testing is a crucial part of enforcement and compliance activities of regulations to drive the elimination of lead paint. For existing painted surfaces, reliable measurement methods are off-site laboratory analysis or on-site, portable. Lab and portable XRF testing options vary in costs and limit of detection. Portable XRFs need to have a sufficiently low detection limit and be operated by qualified personnel and they typically provide a measurement of lead mass per square area, which is not comparable to concentration measurements, such as a 90 ppm limit..
  • Paint with low lead levels found in LMICs indicates the feasibility of producing paint without lead components.
  • As more countries are adopting a low and mandatory lead limit for paint and demand for testing increases, the availability of qualified laboratories globally, and the government and industry’s ability to safely rely on test results from other countries of origin, are becoming more realistic and more practical.

Awareness-raising iconAwareness-raising

  • Raising and maintaining awareness about the hazards of lead paint is important to stimulate action toward laws by governments, enterprises, civil society and other stakeholders.
  • The annual International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (ILPPW) campaign is supported by partners in the Lead Paint Alliance, including UNEP, WHO, the US Environmental Protection Agency and IPEN.
  • The campaign provides an opportunity to increase and mobilize political and social commitment for the establishment of legally binding controls for elimination of lead paint.
  • The most fundamental aspect of a good communication campaign is to have a clear understanding of the desired outcome of the campaign (the resulting change ), e.g., the development of lead paint laws.

Legal limits iconLegal limits on lead paint

  • The following key provision of the Model Law could be taken into account while drafting a lead paint law:
    • Scope of coverage: all paints
    • Clear legal limit on total lead content: 90 ppm total lead (lowest and most protective regulatory limit)
    • Effective dates of new requirements: one year from the date of promulgation
    • of law
    • Compliance and enforcement mechanisms: manufacturers provide a declaration of conformity based on testing by a third-party laboratory
    • Enforcement responsibility and authority: government inspections by [agency]
    • Consequences for non-compliance: prohibited acts (section f), civil and criminal penalties
  • The mechanisms for enforcement included in the Model Law are built on testing, but national laboratory capacity is not required for enforcement, and there are ways to reduce the burden of testing, such as by requiring testing of only the first batch of a paint product and retesting only when there is a material change in ingredients.
  • The implementation of lead paint control measures can contribute toward reducing the population-level blood lead concentration.

Paint industry iconIndustry, SMEs and paint reformulation

  • The global paint industry supports the elimination of lead compounds in paint.
  • Using lead-free ingredients in paint reduces the total lead content of paint below the 90 ppm limit.
  • Raw material suppliers can provide advice to SMEs for paint reformulation and support them in selecting non-lead raw materials for use in reformulation.
  • It is possible to reformulate all types of paints, including household, anticorrosive and roadmarking paint.
  • All types of paints can be reformulated to meet a low lead content limit.

For further information and questions, please contact lead-cadmiumchemicals@un.org  and noleadinpaint@who.int

Last updated: 25 Mar 2024, 11:21
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