Florida Drywall Testing Seeks Information on Health Side Effects

According to a statement released Friday, the Florida Health Department has started testing to identify and assess the potential health effects that may be caused by defective Chinese drywall. Thousands of homes throughout the state built since 2003 may contain plasterboard that has been found to emit gases that are corroding metals and could be causing health problems for residents.

Florida homeowners with drywall imported from China have reported that their plasterboard has begun to emit strong smells of rotten or spoiled eggs caused by high levels of sulfur compounds in the materials used to make the drywall.

When exposed to high heat or humidity, the Chinese drywall in Florida has been found to release carbonyl sulfide, carbon disulfide and hydrogen sulfide. These fumes corrode electrical wiring and other metals throughout the home, destroying air conditioner coils and other appliances.

A number of homeowners have also complained about health problems allegedly caused by the Florida drywall, including respiratory irritation, head aches, eye irritation, nose bleeds, asthma, coughing and difficulty breathing.

Earlier this month, Florida Governor Charlie Crist asked for federal assistance assessing the growing potential health issue posed by the Florida drywall problems. In a letter sent to the CDC and EPA, Governor Crist indicated that a preliminary assessment of 12 homes confirmed the presence of sulfur compounds which could pose a health hazard at sufficient concentrations.

An estimated 35,000 homes throughout Florida may contain defective drywall, and the air quality tests necessary to determine if there are health hazards for residents are complex and ground breaking in nature.

In a separate development late last week, state Senator Dave Aronberg asked Gov. Crist to form a task force to address the Florida drywall problems and suggest new laws that could be enacted during an emergency session of the state Legislature over the summer.

Sen. Aronberg stressed the importance of having a statewide policy for dealing with the Chinese plasterboard so that there are not conflicting standards from local governments.

At least 265 Florida drywall complaints have been filed with the state Health Department and a growing number of Chinese drywall lawsuits have also been filed throughout Florida and other states where the plasterboard was used to build homes, such as Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

As many as 300,000 homes nationwide could be impacted by the defective drywall problems.