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Too soon to blame drywall from China
Source: Xinhua |
November 5, 2009, Thursday
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Print Edition
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TWO years after the so-called tainted Chinese toys and pet food scare, another Chinese manufactured product is causing safety concerns in the United States.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said last week that it had received about 1,900 complaints from US homeowners who claimed that Chinese drywall had made them sick or damaged their houses.
But CPSC officials conceded last Thursday that it was too early to say whether Chinese drywall was causing health problems as well as corroded pipes, electrical outlets and foul odors in homes.
In a report last May, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not draw any conclusions about health risks or whether the boards could be damaging wiring in homes.
According to the CPSC, consumers largely reported that their homes were built in 2006 to 2007, when an unprecedented increase in new construction occurred in part due to the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.
Some consumers have reported a "rotten egg" smell within their homes, while others complained of irritated eyes and skin, difficulty breathing, a persistent cough, runny noses, nosebleed, recurrent headaches, sinus infection and asthma attacks, said the US watchdog of consumer goods.
Moreover, consumers have reported blackened and corroded metal components in their homes and the frequent replacement of components in air-conditioning units.
As many as 100,000 homes may be affected by Chinese drywall, and consulting firm Towers Perrin estimates the damage could range from US$15 billion to US$25 billion, according to US media.
Tests conducted by the EPA this May found small amounts of sulfur and two organic compounds in samples of Chinese-made drywall, but the EPA acknowledged that these two organic compounds also existed in the US-made drywall samples.
The EPA report did not draw any conclusions about health risks or whether the boards could be damaging wiring in homes. This suggested the Chinese drywall was not unsafe, according to some analysts.
On the other hand, the tests conducted by the CPSC, which were released last month, showed that the imported drywall had more sulfur and strontium, and emitted higher rates of volatile sulfuric compounds than comparable North American wallboard.
The Chinese government has paid much attention to the drywall issue, and Chinese officials have traveled to the United States to learn more about the drywall problems.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said last week that it had received about 1,900 complaints from US homeowners who claimed that Chinese drywall had made them sick or damaged their houses.
But CPSC officials conceded last Thursday that it was too early to say whether Chinese drywall was causing health problems as well as corroded pipes, electrical outlets and foul odors in homes.
In a report last May, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did not draw any conclusions about health risks or whether the boards could be damaging wiring in homes.
According to the CPSC, consumers largely reported that their homes were built in 2006 to 2007, when an unprecedented increase in new construction occurred in part due to the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.
Some consumers have reported a "rotten egg" smell within their homes, while others complained of irritated eyes and skin, difficulty breathing, a persistent cough, runny noses, nosebleed, recurrent headaches, sinus infection and asthma attacks, said the US watchdog of consumer goods.
Moreover, consumers have reported blackened and corroded metal components in their homes and the frequent replacement of components in air-conditioning units.
As many as 100,000 homes may be affected by Chinese drywall, and consulting firm Towers Perrin estimates the damage could range from US$15 billion to US$25 billion, according to US media.
Tests conducted by the EPA this May found small amounts of sulfur and two organic compounds in samples of Chinese-made drywall, but the EPA acknowledged that these two organic compounds also existed in the US-made drywall samples.
The EPA report did not draw any conclusions about health risks or whether the boards could be damaging wiring in homes. This suggested the Chinese drywall was not unsafe, according to some analysts.
On the other hand, the tests conducted by the CPSC, which were released last month, showed that the imported drywall had more sulfur and strontium, and emitted higher rates of volatile sulfuric compounds than comparable North American wallboard.
The Chinese government has paid much attention to the drywall issue, and Chinese officials have traveled to the United States to learn more about the drywall problems.
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