Mark Johnson Custom Homes Blog

Brunswick County, NC home builder Mark Johnson Custom Homes would like to share an informative article by Custom Home Magazine’s Stephani Miller. Miller examined the investigation into the adverse health effects of drywall made in China. Below is an excerpt from her article and to read more, click here!

“Late in October 2009, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released preliminary findings of the investigation it has been spearheading into drywall imported from China that is suspected of damaging homes and affecting homeowner health around the country. CPSC has been leading the coordinated federal effort since January 2009, tracking complaints from homeowners, conducting interviews and field measurements in homes, performing tests on samples taken from affected homes, and tracking the provenance of the defective drywall boards to locate their source. To date, 1,900 complaints of “rotten-egg” smells and corrosion of metal components and mechanical systems in homes, as well as asthma-like symptoms, headaches, and bloody noses, have been lodged with the CPSC from residents in 30 states. Most of the complaints have come from homeowners in Florida and Louisiana, likely due to the massive rebuilding of homes following hurricanes in 2004 and 2005.

According to the preliminary findings of CPSC’s elemental and chemical testing, higher levels of two elements—sulfur and strontium—have been found in certain Chinese-made drywall products than in drywall manufactured elsewhere. More testing is being conducted to determine the relationship between the elevated levels of these elements and reported health symptoms or corrosion in homes, however, researchers have determined that the levels of strontium present in samples were not high enough to impact human health. Chamber studies conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to detect chemicals emitted from drywall also determined that the Chinese-made drywall in question emits higher levels of volatile sulfur gases than drywall manufactured elsewhere. Further testing continues, including exposure and risk assessments.”