Government Links Chinese Drywall U.S. Homes Corrosion

November 24, 2009 9:43 a.m. EST

West Palm Beach, FL (AHN) - A recent government study shows a link between Chinese drywall and corrosion in U.S. homes that may physically affect their occupants.

The "Interagency Drywall Task Force," a collective group of government agencies, has been studying homes containing Chinese drywall after numerous complaints from homeowners claiming they were suffering health problems and structural deterioration between 2004 and 2007 when U.S. drywall was in short supply.

A previous study showed no direct link between drywall - also known as wallboard, gypsum board and plasterboard - and reported health problems or deterioration.

But a 51-home study released Monday by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and carried out by the Environmental Health and Engineering, a Massachusetts-based company, showed a correlation between Chinese drywall, the amount of hydrogen sulfide in the residences with the drywall, and the corrosion of metal components in the homes.

Specialists took a look at copper pipes and wiring for corrosion, and examined the humidity of indoor air, temperature and air flow and exchange. They determined that there was a strong link between the high levels of hydrogen sulfide and the corrosion of the metals.

A CPSC spokesperson said now they can move forward and develop a screen process and methods to remedy the issue.

Although the study was not meant to diagnose health issues, an EH&E spokesperson said some of the medical issues could be attributed to the Chinese drywall. But he also cautioned that the issues stem from the material from which the drywall is made and not from which country it originates.

Thirty-two states complained of Chinese drywall issues with most of the complaints coming from Florida, Louisiana and Virginia.