During the housing boom, more than 500 million pounds of possibly defective Chinese drywall was imported to the U.S. According to the Associated Press, that was enough material to build around 100,000 homes. The Chinese drywall was likely used throughout the country, and it could be years before the true scale of the problem is known.
Chinese drywall reportedly emits sulfur fumes that produce a “rotten eggs” odor and cause metals, such as air conditioning coils, to corrode. The fumes have also been associated with respiratory and sinus problems in some residents. In some homes, the drywall problems have been so severe that families have had to move, and some builders have begun gutting and replacing drywall in the buildings.
In Florida, where drywall complaints first surfaced, tests conducted by the state health department found that samples of Chinese drywall contained higher levels of sulfuric and organic compounds than an American-made sample. The Chinese samples contained traces of strontium sulfide while the American sample did not. Strontium sulfide is a gray powder that emits a hydrogen sulfide, or “rotten eggs,” odor when exposed to moist air. The three Chinese samples also contained higher levels of hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, and carbon disulfide than the American drywall. All of these compounds are potentially toxic, and carbon disulfide in liquid form is extremely flammable.
Usually, drywall is manufactured in the U.S., but the rebuilding necessitated by the devastating 2006 hurricane season, and housing boom that was occurring at the same time, prompted many builders to buy drywall from China. Investigators are still trying to determine how much drywall was imported. According to the Associated Press, between 2004 and 2008, 540 million pounds of Chinese drywall entered the U.S. In 2006 alone, enough Chinese drywall was imported to build 34,000 homes.
So far, most of the drywall complaints have come from southern states, where a warm, humid climate encourages the emission of sulfur fumes. The Florida Health Department has received over 150 complaints so far, though experts say as many as 35,000 homes may have used the material. In Louisiana, there have been at least 350 reports. Complaints have also come from Mississippi, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina.
But it is likely Chinese drywall was used elsewhere. In dryer, cooler areas of the country, it could be years before homeowners begin seeing the problems associated with the material.
No one knows yet why the drywall is emitting sulfur fumes. According to the Associated Press, the fact that it was made with fly ash – a waste product of coal burning – could provide a clue. The process of “scrubbing” the smokestack emissions creates calcium sulfate, or gypsum, which can then used to make drywall. In the U.S., drywall is also made from fly ash, but the material is taken from the smokestack, where it is scrubbed. This produces a cleaner product. But in China, the fly ash may have been obtained before it made its way to the smokestack. according to the Associated Press, this creates a “less refined” product.
So far, no one knows if people exposed to Chinese drywall face long-term health consequences. The Florida Health Department says more testing is needed. But according to the Associated Press, the Centers for Disease Control says prolonged exposure to the compounds found in the drywall, especially high levels of carbon disulfide, can cause breathing problems, chest pains and even death; and can affect the nervous system.
The situation has prompted calls for government intervention. The governors of both Florida and Louisiana have asked the feds to step in, and the Consumer Products Safety Commission is in Florida testing drywall. Bills have been introduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress calling for a recall and a ban on Chinese drywall. Others are advocating for financial assistance for homeowners dealing with drywall problems.
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April 14th, 2009 at 11:36 am
AssuredBio is a laboratory with a new and advanced method to detect Chinese drywall. Using advanced infrared imaging analysis we can determine the contaminants in drywall and if it is Chinese or not. $159/analysis.
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April 16th, 2009 at 3:02 am
Much misinformation is being spread about this issue. Drywall is NOT made with fly ash. Drywall is made from scrubber residue which is calcium sulfate, also known as synthetic gypsum. If fly ash is added to the gypsum the paper will not adhere to the drywall final product. Environmentalist are attacking this issue as a another way to give coal burning a black eye, and while it sounds like their is an issue with the drywall it is not related in any way to fly ash.
September 16th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Sunshine Co. Located in Cape Coraal, Fl can test you entire home with a H2S Analizer, Same day results as tested at a special until October for only $69.95. This price will increase in October to $119.95 still reasonable for a complete analysis and report. 239 222-7701
October 9th, 2009 at 6:48 am
Most likely contamination of Chinese drywall comes from low-grade scrubber gypsum that would not be allowed in wallboard in the U.S., Japan or most countries in Europe. Raw output from wet scrubbers always contains some combustion residues — sulfites, sulfides, grit, incomplete oxides, carbon and oils. To make concrete additive-quality gypsum, utilities add forced oxidation. To turn that into wallboard-quality gypsum, utilities then add post-scrubber purification. If China is allowing low-grade or raw scrubber gypsum to be mixed into wallboard, there will be problems with it, particularly in humid climates.
October 15th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Yet another reason not to buy Chinese!
October 27th, 2009 at 6:53 am
You get what you pay for. It is time to remember price does not equate value.
November 19th, 2009 at 8:58 am
As everyone knows anything imported into this country is tracked very closley and they know who and where purchased the drywall and which homes it was used in. If they say anything different then the company using it is doing something illegal. This is a scam.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Why on Earth would anyone knowingly want to use a product in their home that was made from byproducts produced in an industrial waste incinerator in the first place? Ordinary common sense should tell you this is a bad idea! Especially as we know China has no regard for enviornmental regulations. Knock..knock..Hello??!
December 18th, 2009 at 2:57 am
I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF A PRODUCT LIKE DRYLOCK WOULD STOP THE SMELL AND THE OMISSION OF FUMES FROM THE CHINESE DRYWALL?
January 6th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
The only reason anyone used this drywall is because they couldn’t produce enough of it in the US to keep up with demand. Drywall was on “allocation” from the US Suppliers because they couldn’t create it fast enough. Much of the drywall was bought through the same suppliers that couldn’t produce enough of it as a way of pacifying their angry customers. They were just trying to keep up with demand and they didn’t due their due diligence. Now they are going to pay for the error for years.
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:53 am
We have a permanent, non destructive solution to problem chinese drywall. We have adapted our generation of Chlorine Dioxide in a gas phase to decontaminate buildings, which was first carried out for decontamination of all buildings affected by Anthrax in 2001. Since that time it has been used to treat hundreds of structures including schools, pharmaceutical plants and hospitals. Our solution is an EPA approved building fumigant and is recognized by the National Academy of Sciences as “the standard for decontamination of buildings”. We have been treating homes with Chinese Drywall successfully since June 2009 and are currently treating several residences in South Florida. Visit our website for more information (www.sabreenvironmentalservices.com).
February 5th, 2010 at 8:56 am
has there been any cases of severe and incurable kidney diseases associated with the chinese drywall?