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Contamination of Chinese Drywall Could Be Radioactive

By Katie Kelley

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 14Jul2009 Word count: 468 Viewed: 135 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

New reports may have pinpointed the source of contamination for many are claiming is contaminated Chinese drywall. The L.A. Times reported that the root cause of the contamination of the Chinese drywall may be a radioactive phosphorus substance known as phosphogypsum. Phosphogypsum is banned in the United States, namely because prolonged exposure has been shown to increase the chance of the development of lung cancer. While regulations exist in the U.S. to prevent the use of phosphogypsum in construction materials, there are no such regulations in place in China; it has been used by Chinese manufacturers for almost a decade.

The construction material in question was imported between 2000 and 2007, though by some estimates the imports of Chinese drywall to the U.S. jumped 17-fold between 2005 and 2006. The construction boom in the U.S., specifically in Gulf coast regions of the Southeastern United States decimated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita saw such a demand for construction materials that many suppliers were completely sold out of their domestic supplies of drywall. Turning to imports made sense for several reasons; Chinese drywall was readily available and plentiful in addition to the significant cost savings over domestically constructed drywall. This alluring offer had several importers and construction supply companies jumping at the chance to simultaneously save money and profit from their corner on the market.

However, whatever profits and benefits the Chinese drywall held previously, the alleged health concerns far outweigh the benefits. Claims of strange odors emanating from homes containing the imported drywall began to surface over the past few years, along with reports of corrosion of copper, mirrors, electrical wiring and even antique silver. More alarming than the aesthetic concerns of tarnishing and corrosion were the reported health problems supposedly brought about by exposure to defective Chinese drywall. Respiratory problems, sinus blockages, and fatigue were all common reports from homeowners living in dwellings containing the imported drywall. Upon further investigation, toxicologists reported the drywall was contaminated with some substance which caused it to leak some toxic gas into the home. Originally, it was speculated that the defective drywall was leeching a sulfur gas into the houses, thus causing the corrosion and reported health problems. However, if the claims of phosphogypsum contamination are true, the radiation emitted from the radium present in the drywall could be the cause of more health problems in the long term.

A home potentially contaminated with toxic drywall can be an overwhelming burden on a homeowner, especially in difficult economic times. It is therefore advisable for any individual who believes they have been negatively impacted by defective Chinese drywall to contact an experienced attorney at their earliest convenience. A potential class action lawsuit could provide a homeowner or landlord with enough monetary compensation to replace the drywall and deal with any lasting health concerns.

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