Aaron Kessler of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune looked into reports of low-grade Chinese drywall emitting foul-smelling gasses containing sulfur compounds that eat away at homes, blacken copper products, cause electronic devices to fail and may make homeowners and their families ill.
Kessler found that at least 60,000 average houses worth of Chinese drywall has entered the United States since 2006, 60 percent of it in Florida. Builders say that even the foulest drywall will not endanger humans, though Kessler discovered that Florida Health officials have logged more than 50 drywall-related complaints to date.
Builders and importers say not all drywall made in China is tainted, though some report that even clean Chinese drywall became difficult to sell after word of the sulfur emissions got around.
