Chinese Drywall: Rad-i-o, Rad-i-o, Radioactive?

July 30th, 2009. By AbiK

Radioactive.

I’m betting that word conjures up 1 of 3 things:

• the movie Silkwood
• Three Mile Island (et al)
• “I’m not uptight, not unattracted, turn me on tonight, ’cause I’m radioactive…”

Not Chinese drywall.

A report in the LA Times (7/4/09) that potentially connected Chinese drywall with a radioactive substance got a lot of folks attention—with good reason. In referencing the challenges investigators have been faced with to get to the root of the problem, the Times article stated that “some Chinese experts, however, suspect that the culprit is a radioactive phosphorus substance—phosphogypsum—that is banned for construction use in the U.S. but has been used by Chinese manufacturers for almost a decade.”

Before anyone goes crazy (as if there isn’t enough to make a homeowner with Chinese drywall crazy already), officials so far have not found any evidence of this. But the Times goes on to report that copies of Chinese customs reports (obtained by the Times), along with interviews, “indicate that drywall made with phosphogypsum was shipped to the U.S. in 2006 by at least 4 Chinese-based manufacturers and trading firms.”

So what’s the deal with phosphogypsum? It apparently contains radium, which as we learned from Meryl Streep’s crusade in Silkwood (hey, it’s based on a true story), can lead to a higher risk of lung cancer with prolonged exposure. The EPA apparently banned phosphogypsum for use in construction in 1989. 

Again, no one has confirmed that any such material has been found in the defective drywall to date. In fact, the Times article states that four samples were taken from homes in FL and tested—and none of the samples showed any indication of radium.

Still, when the Times gets a quote like this one…

“The manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, estimates that 80% of Chinese drywall makers use phosphogypsum because it is cheap and there are no government restrictions.”

…it has me raising an eyebrow—and it should you, too. This is one aspect of the story everyone needs to keep an eye on until we know conclusively what it is in the Chinese drywall that’s causing all the problems.

Rad-i-o…Rad-i-o…Rad-i-o…Radioactive…can’t get it out of my head now…oh, and let me at least give credit where it’s due: The Firm sang “Radioactive”.

Tags: chinese drywall

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