Chinese Drywall 

U.S. CPSC received over 3,500 incident reports from residents in 38 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and American Samoa related to the presence of drywall produced in China  in their homes. State and local health authorities also received similar reports.

The CPSC, U.S. EPA, CDC, ATSDR and state health departments are jointly investigating this issue. The agencies are working to identify whether the drywall is emitting chemicals of concern and whether homes containing the drywall pose any health risk to people who live in them. This drywall was first imported to the U.S. in 2003 and is still in use.

At this time, not enough information exists to determine the nature and magnitude of a potential health risk. Likewise, it is unknown if every home that contains this product is, or will be, affected.

Common reports submitted to the CPSC and state health departments from residents who live in homes believed to contain problem drywall include one or more of the following:

Issues related to indoor air

a "rotten egg" smell or smell of matches or fireworks in the home.

Issues related to metal inside the home

blackened and corroded metal components in their homes and frequent replacement of metal components in air conditioning units.

Health symptoms

irritated and itchy eyes and skin

difficulty breathing

persistent cough

bloody noses

runny noses

recurrent headaches

sinus infection

asthma attacks

For more information about Chinese Drywall, click here.