Can you get sick from Chinese drywall?
What are the health symptoms and risks of Chinese drywall? The most frequently reported symptoms are irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty in breathing, persistent cough, bloody noses, runny noses, recurrent headaches, sinus infection, and asthma attacks.
What are the dangers of Chinese drywall?
The contaminated drywall has high levels of sulfur, which may be responsible for a rotten egg smell in affected homes, blackened or corroded pipes, failure of air conditioners and other household appliances, and health problems such as asthma, coughing, headaches, sore throats, and irritated eyes.
How do you know if you have Chinese drywall?
To see if this damage is being done, look at the copper coils on your air conditioner. Damage to these coils is an indicator that the drywall may be of Chinese origin. The smell from the corrosive gas emitted from Chinese drywall is very potent and smells similar to rotten eggs.
What is Chinese drywall made of?
The drywall, sometimes called wallboard, was imported from China beginning in 2005, after the record-breaking hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 created a shortage of U.S.-made wallboard. Drywall is made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper, and is used to make interior walls and ceilings.
When did they stop using Chinese drywall?
“Chinese drywall” refers to an environmental health issue involving defective drywall manufactured in China, imported to the United States and used in residential construction between 2001 and 2009 – affecting “an estimated 100,000 homes in more than 20 states.”.
Does Chinese drywall have asbestos?
The severity of the Chinese-made drywall (wallboard) issues may be huge, potentially reaching proportions similar only to the asbestos crisis. Basically, only since 2006, more than 550 million pounds of toxic Chinese drywall was imported in the U.S. (according to Sen. Nelson).
How do you get rid of Chinese drywall?
The only way to get rid of the problem is to completely replace the Chinese drywall with new drywall. In addition, the Consumer Product Safety Commission remediation guidance calls for the replacement of smoke or carbon monoxide detectors, electrical distribution components and fusible type sprinkler heads.
Does Chinese drywall cause mold?
Homeowners affected by the Chinese drywall have reported several different symptoms, including headaches, asthma attacks, nose bleeds and respiratory problems. Toxic mold claims have been reported, but the precise cause of the symptoms is still unknown.
How do you know if drywall is toxic?
These are just warning signs directly related to the structure of your home. There are also health effects to look out for. If you’re living in a high-risk house and you’ve noticed respiratory issues, nose bleeds, rashes, headaches, coughing and sinus problems, you could be suffering from issues tied to toxic drywall.