“Lucky” paint contains high levels of lead, which is banned in paints
30 August 2026, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition detected lead, a hazardous chemical not allowed in paints, in four more imported spray paints sold by local online sellers for P74 per 450 mL can.
In brazen violation of the lead paint ban under DENR A.O. No. 2013-24, the group identified four colors of Lucky 5 Rain-Bow Spray Paint as containing lead above the maximum limit of 90 parts per million.
Imported spray paints containing high levels of lead continue to enter the market despite the country’s lead paint ban, the EcoWaste Coalition warns.
With the help of a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, the group measured lead up to 88,400 ppm in the analyzed samples made in 2025 and 2026 by an unidentified manufacturer – a red flag.
The deep yellow Lucky 5 Rain-Bow manufactured in 2026 topped with 88,400 ppm of lead, followed by yellow (85,500 ppm), allium green (32,400 ppm), and leaf green (14,460 ppm).
Like most lead-containing paints, Lucky 5 Rain-Bow provided no information and warning about its lead content, depriving consumers of their basic right to information to make safe and sound purchasing decisions.
As indicated on its packaging, Lucky 5 Rain-Bow, a general-purpose paint, can be used to spray or repair surfaces, including metal, wood, glass, porcelain, leather, and other materials.
Lucky 5 Rain-Bow is the fourth spray paint brand the EcoWaste Coalition identified as laden with lead during its market investigation in August 2026. It has previously flagged certain colors of Corolla, Jiuniuxing, and Tecpaint spray paints as laden with violative levels of lead.
These lead-containing spray paints were purchased from online dealers, highlighting the challenge of enforcing the lead paint ban with the unrestrained sale of non-compliant products in e-shopping sites.
To address the enforcement gaps that allowed leaded paints to enter the country’s ports, the EcoWaste Coalition backed stricter customs checks and the listing of lead chromates, the most common lead-based pigments, in the Rotterdam Convention’s list of hazardous chemicals to control their trade.
The group also called on e-commerce regulators to enforce Republic Act No. 11967, or the Internet Transactions Act, which empowers the authorities to take down and penalize illegal online product listings.
A major source of childhood lead exposure, lead-containing paints and dust are hazardous to health.
Ingesting or inhaling lead-contaminated paint and dust heavily endangers children, frequently causing lifelong neurological damage, cognitive deficits like reduced IQ, learning and communication barriers, developmental delays, and serious behavioral complications such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and aggression
In adults, lead poisoning can cause joint and muscle pain, mood disorders, memory and concentration problems, abnormal and reduced sperm count in men, miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature birth in women, high blood pressure, and hypertension.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed lead among the top 10 chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern, warning “there is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects.”
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Reference:
https://chemical.emb.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/DAO-2013-24-CCO-Lead.pdf
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lead-poisoning-and-health
