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CHINESE
DRYWALL INSPECTIONS
AND IDENTIFICATION Facts
about Toxic Chinese drywall:
While the material source of the problem is known, the cause of the problem is unknown. Initially, the most common theory was that the tainted drywall was manufactured in gypsum mines in China which used fly ash, a waste material that is a byproduct from power plants using coal. Samples of Chinese drywall tested by United Engineering, however, consisted of 5-15% organic material, which contradicts the theory that Chinese drywall was made of waste from coal fired power plants. It is now believed that the tainted drywall from China comes from mined gypsum, not synthetic gypsum which is made from coal ash. Mined gypsum contains high levels of strontium, which is visible as inclusions in electron scanning microscopy. Another theory is that Chinese drywall contains bacteria which is degrading iron and sulfur compounds to reduce sulfur odors. Drywall imported from China was kept on barges at sea for months awaiting permission to enter the United States. While at sea, the drywall was exposed to seawater. In fact, there are reports that the drywall was wet (and stunk) when unloaded from the ships. A new theory focuses on the water source used to manufacture the drywall, which may not have been properly treated to remove fecal waste. Testing of drywall outer paper and the gypsum core has been found to release sulfur compounds. Thus, there are potential causes aside from the drywall itself, including contaminants in the adhesive that binds the paper to the drywall. Additionally, the drywall or outer paper may have been treated with a fungicide after entering the United States. No one has yet to determine whether tainted drywall has been found in China or Germany, where Knauf Gips is located. Preliminary analytical testing of Chinese drywall samples have revealed strontium sulfide.
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