It seems thousands of United States homeowners claim that they are becoming sick as a result of defective Chinese drywall, claiming a “rotten egg” odor; headaches; nausea and vomiting; respiratory problems; and corrosion of metals in the home, including of jewelry, wiring, air conditioning units, and other appliances.

The Daily Herald points out that millions of gypsum sheets imported to the United States during the housing boom appear to have been contaminated with an array of sulfur compounds. The gypsum in drywall, which typically comes from mines, has recently come from a chemical process involving lime or limestone and gas from coal-fired power plants. Contaminants and sulfur found in power plant smokestacks are supposed to be removed in the process. Failure of proper removal is the cause of foul odors, respiratory complaints, and corrosion, according to some Chinese experts in building supplies. Others say phosphogypsum (calcium sulfate), a radioactive phosphorus substance, is to blame. Banned for use in U.S. construction in 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says prolonged exposure to this radium-contained element can lead to a higher risk of lung cancer. (more…)

About 15,000 Fall 2009 Newbury Travel Mugs, imported by the S Group, of Portland, Oregon and manufactured by Pow Can, of Zhejiang, China, have been recalled, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.

The recalled Fall 2009 Newbury Travel Mugs can become excessively hot to the touch when filled with hot liquids, posing a burn hazard to consumers. To date, the firm has received three reports of excessively hot mugs, including one complaint of a minor burn to the hand. (more…)

About 43,000 Samsung™ Over-the-Range Microwave Ovens imported by Samsung Electronics America Inc., of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, have been recalled for shock hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.

If an installation bolt from the recalled Samsung™ Over-the-Range Microwave Ovens comes in contact with an electrical component inside the unit and the microwave is plugged into an ungrounded outlet, it could create a shock hazard. To date, no incidents or injuries have been reported. (more…)

Adventure Playsets Wooden Play Sets—about 275,000 in the United States and 6,800 in Canada—distributed by Adventure Playsets, of Amarillo, Texas have been recalled, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) just announced.

The Adventure Playsets Wooden Play Sets have been recalled because the plastic coated lumber on the horizontal ladder (monkey bar/swing beam) can weaken over time due to rotting of the whitewood (spruce, pine, and fir species), resulting in a fall hazard. To date, Adventure Playsets has received more than 1,400 reports of rotting ladders involving 16 injuries that resulted in nine emergency room visits. The injuries include two arm fractures, lacerations, scrapes, and bruises to children younger than eight years old. Most of the reported injuries occurred when the swing came out of the monkey bar/ swing beam that had rotted. (more…)

A significant breakthrough in Chinese drywall litigation was announced this week that will do much to streamline the process for suing a major drywall manufacturer. To take advantage of this one time offer made by Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., Chinese drywall claimants must sign on to an omnibus class action lawsuit by December 2, 2009.

According to The New Orleans Times- Picayune, Knauf Plasterboard has agreed not to demand that plaintiffs included in that lawsuit abide by international rules in serving legal papers. Under the agreement, the omnibus lawsuit must be filed by December 9. (more…)

We have a major breakthrough to report in the Chinese drywall litigation. Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co., Ltd., one of the major defendants in the litigation, has agreed to accept service of lawsuits for one month.

This agreement, announced by U.S. District Court Judge Eldon E. Fallon, will allow claimants with Knauf drywall to consolidate their claims in one omnibus class action lawsuit against the company. What this means is that homeowners with Knauf-made wallboard in their homes must file suit now and arrange to have appropriate inspections on their homes if they are wish to join this lawsuit. This suit will be filed on December 9, 2009, and homeowners must submit their claims by December 2. (more…)

The family of an elderly woman who died after the chenille bathrobe she was wearing caught fire has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blair LLC. As we reported earlier this week, Blair has issued two recalls for the bathrobes and other chenille products because they failed to meet the federal flammability standard and present a risk of serious burns to consumers if the garments are exposed to an open flame.

According to her family’s lawsuit, Atwilda Brown, 80, was making her nightly cup of tea in her Connecticut home on Feb. 12, 2005, when the chenille robe she purchased three weeks earlier caught fire. She died two weeks later from her burns. (more…)

U.S Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, expressed frustration yesterday that preliminary results from Chinese drywall testing have failed to answer some pressing questions. According to The Miami Herald, Sen. Nelson was angered not only by the lack of answers, but by the slow pace of the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Chinese drywall investigation.

The CPSC has received about 1,897 reports from residents in 30 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico concerning Chinese drywall. Gases emitted from Chinese drywall are being blamed for significant property damage, including damage to HVAC systems, smoke detectors, electrical wiring, metal plumbing components, and other household appliances. These gases also produce a sulfurous odor that permeates homes, and cause metals, including air conditioning coils and even jewelry, to corrode. People living with Chinese drywall have also suffered eye, respiratory and sinus problems that may be linked to the gases. (more…)

Preliminary results from the first round of Chinese drywall tests conducted by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) have revealed that the wallboard emits volatile sulfur compounds at a higher rate, and contains higher levels of sulfur and strontium, than domestically-made drywall samples.

But according to The Wall Street Journal, CPSC officials say they will need to conduct more studies before they can determine whether or not these differences are contributing to health problems or metal corrosion reported by Chinese drywall homeowners. The testing results are to be discussed at a news conference later today, and according to the Journal, officials are expected to caution that the results are early stage and could change. (more…)

Chinese drywall victims might finally get some answers this week. The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) is expected to release the results of initial testing on Chinese and domestically produced drywall any day now. An additional two reports should be ready next month.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, the CPSC has received over 1,700 complaints regarding Chinese drywall from homeowners across the country. Gases emitted from Chinese drywall are being blamed for significant property damage, including damage to HVAC systems, smoke detectors, electrical wiring, metal plumbing components, and other household appliances. These gases also produce a sulfurous odor that permeates homes, and cause metals, including air conditioning coils and even jewelry, to corrode. People living with Chinese drywall have also suffered eye, respiratory and sinus problems that may be linked to the gases. (more…)