A/HRC/15/22 fuels in many countries. In contrast, there has been less concerted international action to phase out lead in lead-based paints, which are still manufactured in many developing countries and used to paint the interiors and exteriors of homes or schools, as well as toys, furniture, playground equipment and other articles with which children come in contact. 45. Lead in paint represents one of the largest sources of lead exposure. Inhalation of house dust is the most common exposure pathway to lead-based paint for children and adults alike. Lead from exterior house paint can flake off and contaminate the air and the soil outside the house, including children’s play areas. Ingestion of contaminated soil, dust and lead-based paint chips due to hand-to-mouth activities are the most common sources of lead exposure in infants and young children. However, contaminated food and water also represent significant exposure pathways. In addition to exposure to lead-contaminated dust, adults are exposed to lead used in lead-based paint during the manufacture, processing and application of lead paint. Residential renovation and paint removal can be significant sources of lead exposure for workers as well as residents. Dry sanding, abrasive blasting, and burning, welding, or heating surfaces covered with lead paint typically generate highly dangerous airborne lead levels. 46. A recent study found out that 83.8 per cent of oil-based decorative paints sold in India contained more than 600 parts per million (ppm) of lead (which is the maximum allowable percentage of lead in paints to be used for residential uses or for children’s products), and 61.3 per cent of samples had more than 5,000 ppm.27 A similar study carried out in China showed that 50 per cent of new paint samples contained lead at levels equal to or exceeding 600 ppm.28 Although the problem is more serious in developing countries and economies in transition, lead-based paints remain a significant source of lead exposure and poisoning even in countries that have long since phased out its use. For example, in the United States an estimated 38 million housing units built before 1978, the year in which legislation banning the use of lead-based paints was adopted, have paint that contains lead.29 47. ICCM-2 decided to establish a global partnership to promote phasing out the use of lead in paints.30 The Special Rapporteur endorses this important decision, and encourages the new mandate holder to work closely with the Chemicals Branch of UNEP and the World Health Organization (WHO), which serve as the joint secretariat for this global partnership, to raise awareness on the adverse effects that lead-based paints may have on the enjoyment of the right to health of affected individuals and communities who are exposed to them. D. Guidelines on human rights-based approaches to the sound management and disposal of toxic and dangerous products and wastes 48. It was the intention of the Special Rapporteur to terminate his mandate by developing a set of guidelines on human rights-based approaches to the sound management and disposal of toxic and dangerous products and wastes. Their purpose is to give States and the international community practical tools to prevent human rights violations 27 28 29 30 14 Kumar, A., A Brush with Toxics: An Investigation on Lead in Household Paints in India (Toxics Link, September 2007). Lin G.Z. et al., “Lead in housing paints: An exposure source still not taken seriously for children lead poisoning in China”, Environmental Research, vol. 109, No. 1, January 2009, pp. 1–5. Jacobs D.E. et al., “The Prevalence of Lead-Based Paint Hazards in U.S. Housing”, Environmental Health Perspectives, vol. 110, October 2002. Omnibus resolution II/4. GE.10-14907