Molecular Remediation | The AbShield™ Advantage

The Chinese Drywall Problem – History Summary

Hurricanes that made landfall between 2004 and 2006 in Florida and the Gulf Coast States resulted in destruction of thousands of homes and severe property damage. This combined with the nationwide housing boom that extended well into 2007, resulted in a shortfall of building materials from drywall to roof covering products. It is reported that American construction companies used millions of pounds of the Chinese gypsum board products. Shipping records reviewed by the Associated Press indicate that imports of potentially tainted Chinese building materials exceeded 500 million pounds during a four-year period; and that the drywall may have been used in more than 100,000 homes.1 This may be the tip of the iceberg as it has also been reported that the products were also used in the commercial sector, affecting multi-family and mixed use buildings.

The primary problem identified at this time is the potential that the drywall is emitting sulfur-based gasses that may corrode copper piping, air-conditioner coils, computer wiring, and metal picture frames.2 Independent testing firms have performed air quality investigations and concluded that “ based on comparison with occupational and public exposure limits, toxicology testing data, and existing data regarding naturally-occurring air concentrations, the measured concentrations in homes containing the Knauf Tianjin product are not at levels that should be considered a public health concern” 3 and that “Based on an evaluation looking specifically at hydrogen sulfide levels in Florida, ATSDR set an acceptable long term, chronic residential exposure level of 20 ppbv in 2007. Because the reporting limit achieved by the laboratory (4.0 ppbv) is well below this guideline, the result of no reported detections of hydrogen sulfide is an appropriate basis to conclude that there is no indication that the level of hydrogen sulfide in the affected homes would result in any adverse health outcomes” 4 The US Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that they are aggressively investigating whether scientific evidence exists linking chemical emissions from the drywall to reported health complaints; and at this time, however, any such relationship or long-term health effects are unknown. 5

A quick Internet search provides access to many sites that will describe key ways to identify if a home or commercial property was built, in whole or in part, using the subject drywall. One of the most publicized indicators is the smell of rotten eggs, an odor related to gas emissions. The odor may be more prevalent in areas with higher humidity levels where off gassing is exacerbated by heat.

As reported above, the Chinese drywall may have been used in more than 100,000 homes. Currently the CPSC has received about 3,573 reports from residents in 38 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of certain metal components in their homes are related to the presence of drywall produced in China. State and local authorities have also received similar reports. The CPSC received the first incident report from a consumer on December 22, 2008. The majority of the reports to the CPSC have come from consumers residing in the State of Florida while others have come from consumers in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. 5

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(Endnotes)

1 The Associated Press. “AP: Chinese drywall poses potential risks; Officials investigation cause of rotten-egg stench, health complaints.” MSNBC.com, 11 April 2009. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30169267).
2 Corkery, Michael. “Chinese Drywall Cited in Building Woes.” The Wall Street Journal 12 January 2009: A3.
3 CTEH Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health; Summary of Air Sampling Results November 29, 2006
4 ENVIRON FDOH Memorandum – Indoor Air Results from Chinese Drywall; 22-December 2008.
5 U.S. Product Consumer Product Safety Commission – Drywall Information Center