The unchecked use of plastic banderitas in community fiestas is not only adding to the volume, but also to the toxicity of garbage.
The EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watch group, issued this statement after detecting heavy metals, particularly lead, in samples taken from banderitas strung across the crowded streets and alleys of Tondo, which is celebrating today the popular feast of Santo Niño.
“Plastic banderitas add to the volume and toxicity of rubbish generated by our popular but wasteful fiestas,” said Thony Dizon, Chemical Safety Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition.
“These unnecessary accessories may look safe to the naked eye. However, when these banderitas are finally disposed of in dumpsites, landfills or incinerators, or thrown in water bodies, their toxic chemical additives can enter the environment posing a risk to public health,” he said.
“Burning these banderitas will cause the formation and release of even more toxic byproducts such as dioxins,” he added.
Using a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analytical instrument, the group detected lead in 12 of 25 samples of plastic banderitas in the range of 512 to 9,931 parts per million (ppm).
Bright orange-colored banderitas, as well as those promoting certain products were among those found with high lead content.
The presence of lead in some of the sampled buntings may be due to the use of lead compounds as plastic stabilizer or as plastic colorant, the group explained.
According to the World Health Organization, “lead is a cumulative toxicant that affects multiple body systems, particularly affecting the development of the brain and nervous system,” while “dioxins can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and also cause cancer.”
The renewed efforts by the national government to clean up and rehabilitate Manila Bay should prompt the local authorities, church leaders, and community residents into stopping wasteful practices that contribute to the pollution of the bay, including the rampant use of banderitas and other single-use plastics, the EcoWaste Coalition said.
Corporations should also ensure that their product packaging, as well as product promotional materials such as banderitas, are reusable, recyclable or compostable, and are safe from chemicals that are harmful to humans and the environment, including aquatic life, the group pointed out.
Banderitas with low or non-detectable lead content.
Matumizi yasiyodhibitiwa ya banderitas za plastiki katika sherehe za jamii sio tu yanaongeza kiasi, lakini pia sumu ya taka. The EcoWaste Coalition, shirika linalohusika na kutunza taka na uchafuzi wa mazingira, limetoa taarifa hiyo baada ya kugundua metali nzito, hasa risasi, katika sampuli zilizochukuliwa kutoka kwa banderitas zilizopangwa kwenye barabara na vijia vya Tondo, ambapo siku ya leo ni sikukuu maarufu ya Santo Niño. "Banderitas za plastiki huongeza kiasi na sumu ya taka zinazozalishwa na sherehe zetu maarufu lakini za kupoteza", alisema Thony Dizon, Mshindani wa Usalama wa Kemikali, Muungano wa EcoWaste. <unk>Vifaa hivi visivyohitajika vinaweza kuonekana kuwa salama kwa jicho la kawaida. Hata hivyo, wakati banderitas hizi hatimaye kutupwa katika dumpsites, landfills au incinerators, au kutupwa katika miili ya maji, kemikali zao sumu nyongeza inaweza kuingia mazingira kuanzisha hatari kwa afya ya umma, "alisema. "Kuungua banderitas hizi kusababisha malezi na kutolewa kwa hata zaidi sumu byproducts kama vile dioxins", aliongeza. Kwa kutumia kifaa cha X-ray fluorescence (XRF), watafiti walipata risasi katika sampuli 12 kati ya 25 za bandari za plastiki, katika kiwango cha 512-931 ppm. Banderitas zenye rangi ya machungwa, na vilevile zile zinazotangaza bidhaa fulani zilikuwa miongoni mwa zile zilizopatikana zikiwa na chumvi nyingi. Uwepo wa risasi katika baadhi ya sampuli za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi za risasi. "Kulingana na Shirika la Afya Duniani, ""risasi ni sumu ya jumla ambayo huathiri mifumo mingi ya mwili, haswa kuathiri maendeleo ya ubongo na mfumo wa neva,"" wakati ""dioksini zinaweza kusababisha matatizo ya uzazi na maendeleo, kuharibu mfumo wa kinga, kuingiliana na homoni na pia kusababisha kansa,"" ""Jitihada mpya za serikali ya kitaifa ya kusafisha na kurekebisha Ghuba ya Manila inapaswa kuhimiza mamlaka za mitaa, viongozi wa kanisa, na wakazi wa jamii kuacha mazoea ya kupoteza." Kampuni hizo zinapaswa kuhakikisha kwamba vifurushi vya bidhaa zao, pamoja na vifaa vya kukuza bidhaa kama vile banderitas, vinaweza kutumiwa tena, kuyarudishwa au kuyeyushwa, na ni salama kutoka kwa kemikali ambazo ni hatari kwa wanadamu na mazingira, pamoja na maisha ya majini. Banderitas na chini au zisizo detectable risasi maudhui.