Long anticipated Chinese drywall report short on answers

Homeowners affected by tainted Chinese drywall were likely disappointed today by a report issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that said, in effect, tests are still inconclusive.

The long-awaited multi-agency report said more information is needed before the CPSC can consider a recall, ban or other solutions to help homeowners. Additional results are due to be released next month.

"The expansive investigation and scientific work that has been done and continues to be carried out is all aimed at providing answers and solutions," Lori Saltzman, a director in the CPSC's Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction, told the Associated Press. "No connections have been made yet."

Saltzman said the agency, which has so far spent $3.5 million on the studies, has received nearly 1,900 homeowner complaints during one of its largest consumer product investigations in its history. "We understand this problem has literally driven people from their homes," she said.

According to today's report, here is what was found in three tests:

Elemental and chemical testing
The study of the elemental and chemical composition of 17 drywall samples shows higher concentrations of elemental sulfur and strontium in Chinese drywall than in non-Chinese drywall.

Chamber studies
Preliminary results of ongoing testing to detect gases emitted from drywall in laboratory chambers show higher emissions of total volatile sulfur gases from Chinese than from non-Chinese drywall.

Indoor air studies
Indoor air testing of 10 homes in Florida and Louisiana was conducted to identify and measure contaminants and to develop a drywall home indoor air testing protocol. This data from a small sample of homes allows preliminary observations of certain chemicals in the indoor air. The tests did not detect the presence or found only very limited or occasional indications of sulfur compounds of particular interest—hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide, and carbonyl sulfide. Concentrations of two known irritant compounds, acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, were detected in homes with and without Chinese drywall, and at concentrations that could exacerbate conditions such as asthma in sensitive populations. The levels of formaldehyde were not unusual for new homes, however, and were higher when the homes were not air conditioned.

Next steps
In November, the results of a 50-home indoor air testing study will be released as well as preliminary engineering analyses of electrical and fire safety associated with corrosion. A study of long-term corrosion issues, that seeks to simulate decades of exposure and corrosion, will not be completed until June of 2010.

That leaves homeowners continuing to grapple with builders, insurance companies and less-than-ideal living conditions. "So many of us have been really waiting on these results released today to offer us encouragement, but in fact, we're quite disappointed," Holly Krulik, of Parkland, Fla., told the Associated Press. The Krulik family moved out of their home earlier this year.

Comments

[Owen K]

a air to air exchanger is a must here in Minnesota. I am a old insulation contractor from the 70's on. I used all types of materials in homes. what people do not understand is that in a new house everything has formaldehyde in it. so it all adds up into one big problem. It can take up to 10 years before the homes may be in the safe zone. New home owners should be informed of the problem. Note we had older homes that failed the formaldehyde levels due to new insulation, new carpet, new stained wood work and so on. just smell a can of stain! a new rug! finially note that in older homes it goes away faster because of old drywall, old painted walls and older wood work.

[Brad]

All you had to do was spend a little more money and buy good quality Canadian drywall and you wouldn`t have put yourselves in another mess by buying cheap and cheap products from China.

[Debbi Bell]

Why is the government testing for long term corrosive effects - that will be completed in JUNE of 2010? The corrosive effects from the drywall are happening much faster than over one year. And what are they trying to prove? We already know that the corrosion is cause by the drywall. What is needed is help - financial disasert assistance help - this is a widespread enough problem that it could be called a disaster.

[robert granger]

The only solution is for the home owners walk away from the home and default on the mortgage. The financial problem will be quickly addressed by Obama to prevent bank failures. Therefore the government will be forced to address chinese drywall correction costs with China.

[william manahan]

3.5 million so far to study effects, that is the way the U.S does things, if you were to remove all defective drywall and replace it, would probably be cheaper than the study will be. WHAT A SCREWED UP COUNTRY WE AMERICANS LIVE IN!!!

[Safety Blogger]

Just FYI, we covered the leather couch issue in an earlier posting.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2009/05/toxic-sofas-couches-rashes-chemical-burns-britain.html

[Bill Craig]

Speaking of Chinese products, why hasn't any governmental agency investigated the possiblity of the presence on dimethyl fumarate in leather furniture products shipped from China in 2006 and 2007?

Allegedly it was included as a chemical sashet secreted somewhere within the leather furniture and it's stated purpose was to retard the growth of mold and mildew during transit.

This chemical has now been banned throughout Europe and there's a class action suit in England alleging the dimethyl fumarate causes severe skin rashes and sometimes intolerable itching.

I can't imagine that leather furniture shipped from China to Europe during 06 and 07 contained this chemical and it wasn't contained in shipments to the U.S.

[Joshua]

People with Chinese drywall manufactured by Knauf Plasterboard Co. have until Dec. 2 to join a lawsuit against the company. Rather than go through a lengthy legal process, join this lawsuit very easily. The following Web site will give you everything you need and help you file a claim and get some closure on this difficult and costly time: http://www.Chinese-drywall-answers.com

[Rick]

The smell and corrosion are from the sulfur. The health effects are from the formaldehyde.

We appear to have failed to learn from our past mistakes. In the late 1970's we sealed commercial buildings to save energy. People got sick and we passed regulations requiring a complete air exchange every hour.

Now we have sealed homes to save energy and people got sick. If we would require a complete air exchange every hour the chemical regardless of source would be kept at lower levels. We could even use heat exchangers to save energy. Why do we think homes are different from commercial buildings?

In CA the typical formaldehyde levels in homes was 14 ppb in the 1990's. Homes built in 2003 had increased to 29 ppb. Homes built in 2008 & 09 increased to 75 ppb. At the same time, we are wondering why asthma is increasing? Duh! formaldheyde can cause asthma.

A week ago, in Southern CA homes built in 2007 were examined based on occupants complaints of illness attributed to their home. Even after removing sources of formaldehyde, the air in these homes remained elevated. Rooms with the sun hitting the outside wall were higher.

The concentration in wall cavities were higher than room air and in fact higher than any other source in the home. Our conclusion, formaldehyde was off gassing from the insulation and drywall. We have confirmed that the insulation did off gas formaldehyde and will be testing the drywall short, although this report already shows formaldehyde comes from drywall.