Chinese drywall may be sulfur source
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 23, 2009
Residents in suburban Delray Beach’s upscale Vizcaya development are the latest to complain of problems stemming from Chinese drywall in their homes.
Citing air-conditioning coils that turn black and fail, tarnished jewelry and strange odors, a small group met with attorneys on Friday to discuss options
Chinese-made drywall is suspected as the cause of sulfuric gases corroding wires, pipes and home fixtures, all the while throwing off a bad smell.
On Monday, the Florida Department of Health, which is tracking Chinese drywall complaints statewide, released preliminary study findings confirming that Chinese drywall exposed to heat and moisture generates a sulfuric odor.
Conducted for the state by an Illinois firm, the study tested one sample of U.S.-made drywall, two samples marked as being from China, and one unmarked piece that had characteristics similar to the Chinese-made products.
The latter three samples registered higher levels of organic material and sulfuric compounds – particularly strontium sulfide – than the U.S. plasterboard. “There is a distinct difference in drywall that was manufactured in the United States and those that were manufactured in China,” the report concluded. In an especially troubling finding for Floridians, the study also found that, “It is clear that exposure to moisture accelerates the release of volatiles from the drywall.”
More testing is needed to determine whether the organic material and sulfur is the cause of the odors and corroded metals.
During a conference call Monday to discuss the findings, state toxicologist David Krause said that this study is only the first of many planned to determine what components are in the product, at what level, and whether they pose a health problem.
He said this first preliminary study does not show any “specific” health hazards because it only sought to determine what chemicals are in the drywall.
“It’s not that we are saying it’s safe,” Krause said during the conference call.
The next phase of testing will be to determine the rate of emission of the sulfuric gas to help calculate its indoor air concentration and whether it could exceed set safety standards.
Krause noted that the Florida Department of Health has been in contact with state departments of health in Louisiana, Alabama, North Carolina and Washington regarding reports from builders and homeowners of high sulfur drywall being found in homes in those areas.
At least two class-action lawsuits have been filed regarding Chinese drywall in homes outside of Florida – one in Louisiana and one in Alabama.
In Florida, the state Department of Health is tracking more than 150 complaints of Chinese drywall, roughly 30 in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast.
Coral Springs-based Centerline Homes, which built Vizcaya in 2001 and whose Promenade development in Port St. Lucie’s Tradition community was also recently found to have Chinese drywall, did not return repeated calls for comment.
Vizcaya resident Deborah Semrau says she hates days when she comes home and finds water on the floor.
“We’ve replaced 10 or 11 times the coil for the air conditioner,” she said. “But then I still come home and open the door to a warm house and water from the A/C on the floor.”
For the news about Chinese Drywall visit www.helpchinesedrywall.com
Source: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/business/epaper/2009/03/23/a6b_drywallvizcaya_0324.html
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