Health Implications Due to the Presence of Problematic Chinese Drywall
Last month, the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) released the report, “Health Consultation: Possible Health Implications from Exposure to Sulfur Gases Emitted from Chinese-Manufactured Drywall.” It describes the laboratory tests and modeling researchers used to estimate levels of sulfur compounds in the indoor air of homes built with problem drywall, including drywall imported from China in 2005 and 2006.
Following the active 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, and due to a construction boom, a significant amount of drywall manufactured in China was imported into the United States. Soon after, people living in some of these homes began reporting unusual health issues. Many also reported corrosion of some metal components in their homes. The suspected culprit was sulfur compounds being released into the air from the drywall.
According to the ATSDR, exposure to sulfur compounds at the levels estimated from Chinese drywall manufactured in 2005 and 2006 may be associated with health effects such as:
• Headaches
• Irritation of eyes, nose and throat
• Feeling tired
• Problems controlling respiratory conditions (like asthma)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the lead federal agency for problem drywall, began investigating the problem in 2009 along with the ATSDR and other agencies. To date, CPSC has received over 4000 reports from residents in 44 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico, who believe their health symptoms or the corrosion of certain metal components in their homes are related to problem drywall.
“At EMSL, we provide testing solutions for builders, environmental consultants, legal professionals and the general public to identify problematic Chinese drywall,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “We offer a variety of testing options specifically for Chinese drywall samples based upon the client’s needs.”
EMSL has recently sponsored a video about Chinese drywall and indoor environmental quality issues that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/-Zagx6JlVvg.
To learn more about Chinese drywall testing services, please visit www.EMSL.com, email info@EMSL.com or call (800) 220-3675.
About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.
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- Contact Information
- Joe Frasca
- Senior Vice President of Marketing
- EMSL Analytical, Inc.
- (1) (856) 303-2503
- Contact via E-mail
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