Between January and May 2023, the Instituto Nacional de Gestão Ambiental (INGA), a government agency under the Ministry of Environment, EcoAngola, a local NGO, and LEEP jointly conducted a paint-testing study. The study aimed to determine the lead content of paints available to purchase in Angola.

50 cans of solvent-based and water-based paints intended for household use were purchased in Luanda, Angola. The paints represented 16 different brands and, in most cases, a white, a red, and a yellow paint were sampled from each brand. Automotive and industrial paints that are not typically used for domestic housing applications were excluded.

Paint samples drying in preparation for laboratory analysis

All paints were analysed by a laboratory at the University of Wisconsin, USA for lead content based on dry weight using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The laboratory is accredited by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) and it participates in the Environmental Lead Proficiency Analytical Testing program (ELPAT). The laboratory’s analytical methods and certifications are consistent with those recommended by the World Health Organisation for measuring lead in paint. 

The study found that 18 out of 43 (42%) samples of solvent-based paint for home use contained dangerously high levels of lead (greater than 90 ppm lead). In fact, the lead-based paints generally had lead contents that were many times greater than the recommended limit: 39% of paints had a lead content greater than 600 ppm. The highest lead content detected was 11,000 ppm, which is over 122 times the recommended limit.

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High levels of lead were found in both coloured (red and yellow) and white paints. This indicates that lead pigments and/or lead driers may be the source of lead.

Of the 7 water-based paints sampled, 2 (29%) contained dangerously high levels of lead (greater than 90 ppm lead). The highest lead content detected was 59,000 ppm, which is over 655 times the recommended limit. High levels of lead were found in only yellow coloured water-based paints sampled. This indicates that lead pigments may be the source of lead in these water-based paints. 

Of the 16 brands tested, 7 (44%) had paints sampled that contained dangerously high levels of lead (greater than 90 ppm lead) and 5 of these brands had paints that contained lead levels above 5,000 ppm. 

Of these brands, 11 are Angolan manufacturers or have factories in Angola. 6 out of these 11 (55%) Angolan manufacturers had at least one paint sample that contained dangerously high levels of lead (greater than 90 ppm lead). 5 Angolan manufacturers had no paint sampled with lead levels greater than 90 ppm, which shows that local manufacturing of paints with a safe level of lead is entirely possible.

The other brands included manufacturers located in India, Turkey, and UAE. The UAE manufacturer had at least one paint sample that contained dangerously high levels of lead (greater than 90 ppm lead). The Turkey and India manufacturers did not have any paints sampled containing above 90 ppm of lead.  

The study shows that readily available, common brands of solvent-based paint in Angola contain dangerous levels of lead, which pose serious health risks to the population of Angola, particularly children. Regulating the presence of lead in household paints is a clear and effective path to reduce children’s lead exposure.

Government Outreach

The Ministry of Environment and INGA swiftly took up the issue and organised a workshop attended by over 40 government and paint industry representatives in Luanda on 24 October 2023. The Minister of Environment, Arch. Ana Paula de Carvalho Luna Chantre, opened the event:

“This study is aligned to the objectives of the SDG’s. These results can be the foundation for Angola to be within the 84 countries worldwide that prevent lead exposure through specific regulation and control focusing on the gradual elimination of lead in paint.”

Arch. Ana Paula de Carvalho Luna Chantre, Minister of Environment opens the multi-stakeholder workshop

Evaristo Panzo Manuel, INGA Senior Technician, Dr Nzuzi Katondi, WHO Angola Technical Advisor, Christine Akasing Nkerifac, WHO AFRO Technical Officer, Luiana Guerra, EcoAngola Executive Director, and Charlotte Potts and Dr Guillermo Olmedo, LEEP Program Managers, presented at the workshop. Their presentations discussed the health impacts of lead paint, the legal framework surrounding the paint industry in Angola, the study’s findings, and how manufacturers can remove lead from their paint. The workshop was covered by news outlet Televisão Pública de Angola and broadcast on the evening news.

Government, manufacturer and civil society representatives at the October multi-stakeholder workshop in Luanda, Angola

(Left to right) Dr Nzuzi Katondi, WHO Angola Technical Advisor, Arch. Ana Paula de Carvalho Luna Chantre, Minister of Environment, and Eng. Hassana Octávio Hayza Lima, National Director of Instituto Nacional de Gestão Ambiental

Following the workshop, LEEP Program Managers, Charlotte Potts and Dr Guillermo Olmedo, met with the judicial cabinet for the Ministry of Environment, who are responsible for drafting regulation, to discuss the guidance provided by the United Nations Model Law and Guidance for Regulating Lead in Paint. 

LEEP was also delighted to receive further governmental support on the issue in meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Secretary of State for Environment. 

The Ministry of Environment and INGA are now working towards drafting regulatory limits on lead levels in paint, having set it as a key priority for 2024.

(Left to right) Dr Guillermo Olmedo Mendez, LEEP Program Manager, Charlotte Potts, LEEP Program Manager, and Mr Abias Moma Huong, Secretary of State for Environment review the paint study results at the October multi-stakeholder workshop

Manufacturer Engagement

LEEP met with senior representatives of seven paint manufacturers in Angola to explain the health impacts of lead in paint and offer LEEP’s free support with reformulation (i.e., removing lead ingredients from their paint).

The six Angolan brands that had at least one market sample detected as higher than 90 ppm reported to LEEP their willingness to switch to lead-free raw materials. LEEP’s best understanding is that four of these brands are among the top six most popular brands in Angola, and represent about 60% of the total paint market.

LEEP plans to continue its work with manufacturers and to provide technical support switching to lead-free raw materials. 

Next steps

LEEP plans to:

• Continue providing technical support to manufacturers seeking to reformulate. 
• Continue collaborating with INGA and the Ministry of Environment to develop legal lead limits in paint.
• Undertake further lead paint testing in order to assess which manufacturers have successfully reformulated and support regulatory enforcement activity.

Acknowledgements and thanks

LEEP would like to thank Eng. Hassana Octávio Hayza Lima, National Director of Instituto Nacional de Gestão Ambiental, Mrs Natália Miranda, Head of the Control and Evaluation department of the Environmental Monitoring Department, Mr Evaristo Panzo Manuel, Mr Euclides António, and the rest of the INGA team; Ms Luiana Guerra, EcoAngola Co-Founder and Project Coordinator, Ms Erica Tavares, EcoAngola Co-Founder, Ms Paula de Almeida, EcoJango Executive Director, Ms Paula Pacheco, Assistant Coordinator, Mr Albertino Manuel, Volunteer, Mr Lukeya Santos, Volunteer, Mr Luis Flora, Volunteer and the rest of the EcoAngola and EcoJango team for their collaboration on this project.