Action 9: Government report links some Chinese drywall to health problems

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Action 9 first exposed the problems with homes containing Chinese drywall. Now the federal government has released its findings that some kinds of Chinese drywall, in thousands of Florida homes, are a danger to consumers' health.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson had pressured the Centers for Disease Control to release this study for two years. On late Friday he told Action 9's Todd Ulrich that the investigation is the first concrete link between Chinese drywall and illness.

The report confirms what an Orange County family first told Action 9 five years ago. They said something in the drywall had poisoned the air and made them sick.

The CDC report found the Chinese drywall had turned the air toxic inside homes causing nose bleeds, headaches, breathing problems and asthma.

According to the study, some wallboard imported from 2005 to 2009 gave off high levels of hydrogen sulfide, which is why homeowners reported the smell of rotten eggs. Those gases turned copper wires black, corroded air conditioning units and messed up many appliances.

According to the report, over time the level of bad air dropped, but unless the tainted drywall was removed entirely, health and electrical problems would continue.

And there was bad news for Chinese drywall victims in the report. Investigators found the highest toxic concentration of bad air was in hot and humid states like Florida.

Many homeowners had already signed up as part of a multistate settlement with the drywalls companies. There are many victims who still have not received their money to cover the cleanup and recovery costs.

WFTV