21/09/2026
PRESS RELEASE
Five Years On, High Lead Levels Still Found in Indonesia’s Paint Products
Jakarta, September 21, 2026 – Paint products from an Indonesian market-leading company listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange have been found to contain high concentrations of lead that endanger consumers' health, particularly children. A 2026 study of six paint product samples from PT Avia Avian Tbk found that five products, or 83% of the samples tested, had lead concentrations above the 90 ppm standard.
The six PT Avia Avian Tbk product samples tested were similar to those previously tested by the Nexus3 Foundation in 2021. This research was conducted to compare developments over the five-year period. The same products were purchased from a number of markets in the Bekasi, Jakarta, and Depok areas in mid-July 2026.
Yuyun Ismawati of Nexus3 Foundation expressed regret, saying, "Indonesia's leading paint company is still profiting from consumers by using lead, a chemical classified as hazardous and toxic. Lead was banned a century ago by the ILO, and international agreements have set a target of eliminating lead in paint by 2020," said Yuyun. "As a company listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, I have high hopes that PT Avia Avian Tbk will set the best example of sustainable, accountable, and toxin-free business practices, in line with the commitments stated in their report."
Five years on, the latest analysis of a number of decorative and industrial paint samples from Avian Brands sold in various major Indonesian cities shows no significant change compared to the 2021 test results. This is despite the fact that PT Avia Avian Tbk's 2025 Sustainability Report states that 40 Avian Brands products have obtained Singapore Green Label certification and meet the Green Industry criteria promoted by the Ministry of Industry. The report also states that the company regularly tests its paint products for heavy metal content.
The brands with levels above 90 ppm are: Avian Industrial and Marine Coating Yellow; Avian Yellow (465-466); Avian 190 Flame Orange; Yoko 28 Traffic Red; and Glovin Red 132-78. Only one Avian brand, 192 Vermillion, contained lead levels below 90 ppm. In this 2026 paint sample study, Nexus3 collaborated with the Samaun Samadikun Science and Technology Park Laboratory of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).
Lead in paint has now surpassed leaded gasoline as the primary source of lead exposure with a significant impact on children. In Indonesia, more than 45 million children under the age of five and of school age are at risk of exposure to lead paint.
The World Health Organization (WHO) affirms that there is no safe level of lead exposure for children's health. Eliminating the use of lead-based pigments and drying agents from the paint manufacturing process is an initial step toward stopping such exposure.
Several countries have adopted regulatory controls and restrictions on the use of lead chromates in paints, including Australia, China, India, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States, Vietnam, and the European Union. Meanwhile, Indonesia currently has no legally binding regulation restricting the use of lead chromates in paints.
Jeiel Guarino, Global Lead Paint Elimination Campaigner at IPEN, added, “The use of lead-based ingredients in paint is an outdated technology, whereas safer alternatives have been widely available for decades. Lead paints likely contain lead chromate pigments, compounds that are both neurotoxic and carcinogenic to humans, and have been banned in many countries. The process to adopt global controls on lead chromates under the Rotterdam Convention has gained momentum after the Chemical Review Committee (CRC) unanimously concluded that lead chromates meet all criteria under the Convention and recommended these chemicals for listing under the Convention,” said Jeiel.
Lead in paint is known to be one of the sources of chronic exposure that can significantly affect children's growth and development. By the end of 2024, nearly 18,000 people had signed a petition calling for the elimination of lead in paint, particularly in children's playgrounds. The petition was addressed to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the Minister of Environment, the Minister of Industry, and the Minister of Trade.
A 2024 World Bank study found that more than 77% of paint sold in Indonesia had lead levels above the 90 ppm limit. Indonesian National Standard SNI 8011:2024 sets a maximum lead content limit of 90 ppm for decorative paint products, but its implementation remains voluntary.
To prevent lead exposure among children and consumers, as well as environmental contamination, the Government of Indonesia needs to ban the production and import of lead chromate. As a company that controls 24% of Indonesia's paint market share, PT Avia Avian Tbk has the opportunity to become an agent of change by halting the production of lead-based paint and manufacturing all of its paint products using water-based formulas.
— End —
Contact: C**a, +62 811-3995-464, [email protected]
About Nexus3 Foundation
The Nexus for Health, Environment and Development Foundation (Nexus3), formerly known as the BaliFokus Foundation, is a non-profit organization focused on protecting public health and the environment through various initiatives related to chemical safety, waste management, and pollution prevention. Nexus3 works together with communities, governments, and international partners to realize a just, toxic-free, and sustainable future.
About IPEN: for a toxics-free future
IPEN (International Pollutants Elimination Network) is a global network of public interest organizations improving chemical policies and raising public awareness to ensure that hazardous substances are no longer produced, used, or disposed of in ways that harm human health and the environment. IPEN holds a seat on the Advisory Council of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint, co-hosted by WHO and UNEP.
Photo credits: Nexus3 Foundation
