Lead compounds in paint and coatings: A review of regulations and latest updates

Contamination by potentially toxic elements, especially lead, is a growing global issue that has been always fraught with challenges due to its adverse effects on public health. The mental retardation of more than 0.6 million children worldwide is attributed to blood lead levels annually. The present review provides critical insights into the existing scientific literature on lead-based paint and statements of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It also offers a comprehensive perspective on the overall issue. The universal production and international trade of lead-based paints across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America are critically discussed. In this study, the permissible range of usable lead-based paint varies between 90 ppm to 150,000 ppm in different continents. The introduction, implementation, and updating of the relevant regulations in developed countries seem to have shifted the problem to developing countries. The obtained results revealed that lead-based paints are still widely utilized in many low- and middle-income developing countries and that the production and trade of lead-based paint are still widespread globally. Finally, we believe that the accompanying approach of international organizations and their strategies to reduce lead levels in paint is leading to critical oversight, public awareness, integration system, and industry acceptance in the fight against the global lead-based paint issue. Uninterrupted efforts by international organizations are still going on.