Toxic Lead Paint Pigment Exports from Rich to Poor Countries

Lead poisoning affects one in three children globally, with large but neglected impacts on health and education. One important source of exposure is lead in paint, of which one key additive is the pigment lead chromate. Lead chromate is toxic and safe alternatives exist: its use is effectively prohibited in the European Union and the UK, and is highly restricted in other high-income countries. In this paper we present new data documenting the global trade in lead chromate. Exports of lead chromate are dominated by companies based in India, but we also show significant ongoing exports from high-income countries including the United States, Canada, and Spain, despite these countries placing bans or strong restrictions on its use in their own territories. Many of these exports go to countries with potentially low capacity to regulate its end-use and prevent highly hazardous applications. While the harm posed by any particular shipment or actor depends on the end-use of the exported lead chromate, which is not possible to determine, the volume of exports from rich to poor countries could be sufficient to poison hundreds of thousands of children, harming health and holding back educational progress. We conclude with recommendations to policymakers to end the detrimental and unnecessary use of lead chromate, including to support its regulation through the Rotterdam Convention, the primary international agreement for the regulation of hazardous chemicals.