"What Percentage of Sulfur is Acceptable in Chinese Drywall?"

Jupiter, FLKerrie wants to know what percentage of sulfur in drywall is acceptable; she sent a sample of her drywall to a lab for testing because she is about 100 percent certain that Chinese drywall was used in her five-year-old condo.

"My fiancé and I bought a condo after the hurricane five years ago but I have never lived in it because of the fumes," says Kerrie. " Instead, I rent the condo but when I go there to clean up the symptoms come back right away. Even my hair and luggage would smell when I got back to my house." Kerrie says it doesn't smell like sulfur, but definitely a chemical smell that she believes is due to the drywall—especially now that the lab test came back showing a higher percentage of sulfur than "normal".

"I took some drywall samples to my sister—she has a laboratory that tests environmental chemicals in dirt and water," says Kerrie. "She said my sample showed a 16 percent sulfur level and right now I am trying to find out what is an acceptable percentage in drywall. I am still researching because I haven't found anyone who can give me an answer." Kerrie also wants to find out what other carcinogenic components might be in her drywall. Her sister went to Home Depot and took a regular piece of drywall to compare. It had some sulfur but not nearly close to 16 percent.

Who is Responsible?

Kerrie's sister also checked with another laboratory in Miami—it has different equipment that does a drywall "wet test". Apparently there are a lot of things that could make chemicals in the drywall react against each other. "The lab technician also told my sister that the drywall is fumigated before it gets on the ship and before it leaves port and sometimes it is transported in the hold of a freighter so there are a lot of variables involved," Kerrie adds. "It seems like nobody wants to point a finger right now because they don't know who to blame. Is it coming from the Chinese manufacturer or the people fumigating the ship? I think that people don't know where to turn.

The Damage Done

I had the a/c coils replaced by the builder within the first year of it being built. He said there was a malfunction and I got them replaced, no charge. I also found out that the a/c coils in 3 other condos were replaced.

Then the fans in some ceilings dropped out—the builders said the wrong fixtures were used. Next, they went into my kitchen and laundry room, reattaching the cupboard cabinets to the wall because they were coming apart from each other. The excuse was that the wrong divots were used. I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now.

Symptoms

When I am in my condo even for a short time I get a sore throat; my sinuses, eyes, and my chest would hurt and it feels like the flu. I am sure it is Chinese drywall because when I have a power outage in my house my water softener doesn't work: I have well water and I would get these same symptoms. Finally I figured out that when this softener is turned off, I was getting sulfur in the tap water and that gave me an allergic reaction.

I'm sure the stuffing in my furniture smells too—it permeates all materials. I spent a lot of money furnishing this condo and I am not in any position to replace anything. In fact I can smell this odor right now as I am talking to you—it is embedded in my memory.

When my tenant leaves at the end of May I will take off the a/c cover and see if the wiring is black because that is a sure sign of Chinese drywall. If the wiring is black, it is definitely sulfur and I will definitely be seeking legal help."

Chinese Drywall Testing

The Florida Health Department said it would start testing air quality in homes built with Chinese drywall to determine if sulfur fumes emitted by the material pose any health hazard. According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for the health department said scheduled tests are complex and have never been done before. "This is new science, nobody has tested drywall like this," he said.

It has already been determined that samples of Chinese drywall contained higher levels of sulfuric and organic compounds than an American-made sample. The Chinese samples contained traces of strontium sulfide while the American sample did not. Strontium sulfide is a gray powder that emits a hydrogen sulfide—the "rotten eggs," odor when exposed to moist air. The health department reported that three Chinese samples also contained higher levels of hydrogen sulfide, carbonyl sulfide, and carbon disulfide than the American drywall. All of these compounds are potentially toxic, and carbon disulfide in liquid form is extremely flammable.

Sulfur will cause metals such as copper to corrode--many people like Kerrie have reported that their air conditioning coils have corroded. As well, some residents have complained of respiratory and sinus problems; some families have even moved from their homes and had their drywall replaced—something Kerrie can't afford, unless she can get legal help.