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Chinese Drywall
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Environmental Pollution
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Problems with Chinese Drywall

Many reports from all over the U.S. indicate that the Chinese drywall causes problems related to both the health of homeowners and functioning of electronic appliances within the home. These Chinese drywall problems are affecting not only homeowners, but also builders and lawyers since the affected homeowners usually start lawsuits against builders and ultimately manufacturers of the defective drywall for damage compensation. In brief, the main problems with Chinese drywalls relate to the emission of potentially toxic and corrosive fumes (gases) from the drywalls into the home atmosphere (especially under higher temperatures and humidity). Such emitted fumes include, but are not limited to: hydrogen sulfide (H2S), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon disulfide (CS2), and possibly other irritating and corrosive fumes. These gases have an unpleasant rotten egg odor, may pose a health risk to inhabitants, and seem to corrode electrical and plumbing components determining malfunctioning of electronic systems within the home.

There are two categories of problems with Chinese drywall – if you experience any of these Chinese drywall problems since moving in a recently bought home or if any of these Chinese drywall problems got worse since moving, then you may be at risk of living in a home with defective Chinese drywall. Below are the most common reported Chinese drywall problems.

Chinese Made Drywall Causing Health Problems

Reported health problems to inhabitants of homes built with toxic Chinese drywall vary and may include one or more of the following health Chinese drywall problems:

    a. irritated and itchy eyes and skin,
    b. sinus problems and difficulty breathing;
    c. respiratory infection (accumulation of a rubber-cement like substance in sinuses)
    d. nose bleeds,
    e. persistent coughing,
    f. asthma attacks,
    g. extreme fatigue,
    h. recurrent headaches,
    i. sore throat, cough,
    j. dizziness, insomnia,
    k. severe allergies,
    l. gastrointestinal problems,
    m. hair loss,
    n. joint and muscle pain

Chinese Made Drywall Causing Other Problems

Reported environmental Chinese drywall problems within the home containing defective Chinese drywall, include one or more of the followings:

    o. Persistent rotten-egg smell within the house only (not outdoors)
    p. corrosion of electrical and plumbing components,
    q. blackening of copper pipes and wiring,
    r. blackening of appliances containing copper,
    s. silverware tarnish,
    t. black soot on the plugs of washers and dryers,
    u. black soot on the wires behind light-switch plates,
    v. blackening of metal on bathroom fixtures and of coils from air-conditioning systems,
    w. overheating of parts of electrical systems,
    x. electronics malfunction,
    y. power outages,
    z. broken air-conditioning, failure of air conditioning coils with a black residue,
    aa. corrosion of mirror edges,
    bb. intermittent and total failure in operation of dishwashers and/or refrigerators,
    cc. broken microwave ovens,
    dd. unusual sounds from electrical system devices,
    ee. dim/flickering lights.

Latest on Chinese Drywall Problem

Identifying and solving the Chinese drywall problems is not happening overnight. Every day small steps forward are made increasing our awareness and testing capabilities that will ultimately solve the Chinese drywall problem. In the near future, studies coordinated by CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Committee) are focused on in-depth investigation of various factors within a home that affect the off-gassing (emission of fumes) from defective Chinese drywall (CPSC, 2009). Site inspections at homes suspected to be affected are also planned to target evaluation of the risk of electrocution and fire hazards that may exist due to the corrosive gases emanated by the defective drywall (CPSC, 2009).

Additionally, CPSC has launched the Drywall Information Center, where consumers can report incidents. As of June 26, 2009, CPSC has received more than 460 reports from residents in 19 U.S. states. Moreover, the most recent information related to CPSC investigations of Chinese drywall problems ca be tracked at the Information Center, too.

Reference Cited
CPSC. 2009. CPSC Investigation of Imported Drywall Status Report, July 2009.