Lead paint in Morocco: 40% of samples exceed limit
A Moroccan study finds 40% of household paints exceed the international lead safety threshold, posing irreversible risks to children's neurological development.
A 2017 study by Morocco's Society of Clinical and Analytical Toxicology (SMTCA) found that about 40% of solvent-based household paint samples sold in Morocco exceed the international safety threshold for lead, set at 90 parts per million (ppm), with 6% exceeding 10,000 ppm. The figures were highlighted during the 14th International Week for the Prevention of Lead Poisoning, held from 18 to 24 October 2026 under the theme "From Detection to Prevention," as health experts warn that lead continues to threaten Moroccan children.
Why is lead especially dangerous for children?
Children's developing nervous systems are highly sensitive to lead, and the damage it causes can be irreversible, including lower IQ, attention problems and hyperactivity. The risk is higher for children with pica syndrome, who ingest non-food items such as paint flakes or chalk. Exposure can even begin before birth, when lead stored in a mother's bones is released during pregnancy. Warning signs include unexplained chronic anemia, irritability and cognitive difficulties, particularly in old housing or near industrial or mining sites. Chronic lead poisoning remains hard to track in Morocco, since it is not a notifiable disease, leaving the true number of cases unknown.
A national standard since 2021, still not enough
Morocco's Institute of Standardization (Imanor) set a maximum lead level of 90 ppm in paints under standard NM 03.3.318, made mandatory by a Ministry of Industry and Trade decree dated 6 April 2021. Yet according to the study, only 6% of the paint samples analyzed disclosed their lead content on the packaging, limiting consumers' ability to make an informed choice. Morocco has also joined international efforts to list lead chromates under Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention.
Environmental health specialists recommend strengthening testing laboratories and inspections across manufacturing, imports and sales, tackling the informal market, and making compliant paints more affordable. They also call for a national plan to safely renovate old schools, nurseries and pediatric hospitals, training craftsmen and providing protective equipment during painting and renovation work, and promoting early blood-lead testing when exposure is suspected.