Online ReporterTrust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
HALF of all decorative paints on the market contain dangerously high levels of lead, posing a major public health hazard, a national study by the Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre has revealed.
The findings come as the Government moves to enforce Statutory Instrument 82 of 2026, which bans the manufacture, import, distribution, and sale of paints with a lead concentration above 90 parts per million (ppm).
SIRDC, in partnership with the Lead Exposure Elimination Project and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, tested 60 paint samples from 21 manufacturers across Zimbabwe.
According to the study, 50 percent of samples exceeded the new 90 ppm limit while 42 percent was above 10 000 ppm, more than 100 times the permissible threshold.
The highest level recorded was 67 000 ppm in a yellow oil-based paint.
“Bright yellow, red and green paints were found to be the most contaminated, indicating the continued use of lead chromate pigments in certain paint formulations,” said SIRDC .
“The findings highlight the magnitude of a largely invisible public health challenge that has persisted in the paint sector for years.”
Lead is recognised globally as one of the most dangerous environmental toxins.
Even at low levels, exposure can cause irreversible neurological damage in children, affecting intelligence, learning ability, behaviour and future productivity.
In adults, it is linked to cardiovascular disease, kidney damage and reproductive disorders. The World Health Organisation maintains there is no safe level of lead exposure.
Experts warn that lead-based decorative paints remain a major source of contamination in homes, schools and public buildings, with dust from deteriorating surfaces posing a particular risk to young children.
Under SI 82 of 2026, manufacturers and importers have been given a transition period to reformulate products and remove non-compliant paints before full enforcement.
To support the shift, SIRDC has launched a national programme offering laboratory testing, technical guidance on reformulation, identification of approved lead-free raw material suppliers, training workshops and ongoing support for SMEs.
SIRDC said more than 150 stakeholders who attended a national workshop it hosted in Harare, including manufacturers, contractors, suppliers, regulators and academics cited limited technical knowledge, inadequate testing facilities and the high cost of lead-free raw materials as key barriers to compliance.
