The first results of a federal investigation into Chinese drywall found no definite link to health hazards or to the corrosion of air conditioning systems and wiring in U.S. homes, the government said Thursday. The inquiry into drywall may become the largest defective building products case in history.
Drywall imported from China has been found to contain high levels of toxic chemicals and emit gases that are believed to corrode air conditioning systems and wiring in appliances and electrical outlets.
The drywall was used in an estimated 100,000 homes in nearly 30 states between 2004 and 2007.
Tests done by private labs have already identified the problem. The Chinese drywall has been found to contain high levels of sulfur and other organic compounds and to emit sulfide gases that corrode copper pipes and wiring.
The homes have a sulfurous odor, like rotten eggs. Homeowners say the drywall causes headaches, sore throats and respiratory ailments.
Seeking Expert Assistance
Congress asked the Consumer Product Safety Commission for help, and the commission enlisted experts from the Environmental Protection Agency, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development for its investigation.
But, after several months of tests and analysis, the commission says it has nothing conclusive yet to report.
Tests by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found high levels of sulfur and strontium. But indoor air studies did not find elevated levels of sulfide gases. More studies are being conducted.
Researching Health Effects
As for possible health effects, Dr. Michael McGeehin of the CDC says the headaches, sore throats and other symptoms are all evidence of indoor air contamination, but he's not yet ready to lay the blame on Chinese drywall.
"It's not enough to say that we think we have indoor air contamination," he says. "We're not sure whether or not it can be more than one compound. It can be two compounds acting together."
Federal and state health officials say that along with the toxins contained in the drywall, they've also found other irritants in the homes, including formaldehyde not related to the Chinese imports.
Consumer Product Safety Commission officials can't even say yet whether Chinese drywall is causing the corrosion found on pipes and wiring in these houses.
Recommendations For Homeowners
Health officials recommend that affected homeowners open their windows when they can, run their air conditioners and spend as much time outdoors as possible.
The recommendations are not likely to satisfy homeowners with toxic drywall, and they certainly don't satisfy Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), one of those who asked for the federal investigation.
After being briefed on the report, he said: "These are not recommendations. Our people are desperate. In addition to the financial devastation and the health effects, they want their government to respond with some answers."
Federal officials say they hope to have some answers in another month, when more test results are in.
Tapping Federal Grants
A federal housing official said that, in the meantime, states can use federal block grants to help homeowners deal with their toxic drywall. Louisiana has begun that process.
Nelson and other members of Congress have called for a ban on new imports and a recall of Chinese drywall. CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson says that while all options are on the table, a recall would neither be quick nor easy. "We need to realize that a recall could require some legal action," he says. "It could take time to be done."
The head of the commission recently held talks with Chinese officials about the toxic drywall, but received no firm commitments that China would help remedy the problem. Nelson is calling on President Obama and other administration officials to raise the issue again when they visit China next month.
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