Chinese Drywall Linked to Premature Aging

Physician links Chinese drywall, premature aging

Sheri Lonan
August 30, 2010

Listening to the medical complaints of homeowners living in properties with contaminated drywall, physician Kaye H. Kilburn didn't seem surprised.

Ranging from eye irritation and headaches to extreme fatigue and spontaneous nose bleeds, the complaints, Kilburn said, are consistent with what is expected when people are exposed to chemicals in their environment.

And he should know - a leading expert on the effects of hydrogen sulfide, Kilburn is from the University of Southern California's School of Medicine.

In this case, the homes are contaminated with hydrogen sulfide. The highly corrosive gas has been found in homes with drywall imported from China during the early to mid-2000s. It has been blamed for corroding air-conditioning coils and metals in electronics, and causing fires. Residents also said that the gas is what is causing the symptoms they've been experiencing.

Kilburn agreed with residents' assessments, and Woody Nelson, who is co-chairman of the Greater Sun City Center Contaminated Drywall Coordinating Group, wonders where the federal and state governments are in studying the effects.

"This is premature aging," Kilburn said after touring two homes in Sun City Center and listening to resident complaints. "This is a death-causing problem."

According to Kilburn, the lack of response is often caused by financial motivations and an unwillingness on the part of government officials to delve into issues.

"It's sort of obscene," he said.

Nelson's group acts as a clearinghouse of information for residents throughout the state of Florida and beyond. It began several years ago as an organization to help the 70-plus Sun City Center and Kings Point residents who are living in homes with contaminated drywall.

"I want to take this thing to a whole new level," Nelson said. "It's like a black hole."

To demonstrate the need for government intervention and epidemiological testing on residents in contaminated environments, the drywall group contracted Kilburn to conduct a health survey earlier this summer. Kilburn traveled to Sun City Center at his own expense and out of his own curiosity to witness the effects of drywall contamination.

During his tour, Kilburn heard from residents both in person and by watching videos of their stories. Some reported symptoms that were severe while they were in their homes, but that abated if they left for a while. Others told of their own physicians instructing them not to return to their homes.

"Sometimes I give up hope that I'll ever be able to live in my beautiful home again," said resident Mildred Ballard in a video. "We feel like we've been forgotten."

Homeowners with contaminated drywall have few avenues for recourse. While property tax breaks have been offered and some lawsuits are in the system, many builders and insurance companies are not paying to replace contaminated drywall. The costs associated with complete removal of drywall from a home can run as high as $100,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home, Nelson said.

That's why the coordinating group is conducting its own health studies. It's trying to show there is a problem that extends beyond the corrosion of pipes and the sulfuric smells of the drywall and into the medical realm, as well.

"What I really would like to do is blow the lid off," Nelson said.

For information on the drywall coordinating group, visit http://cdcg.suncityctr.net/

Reporter Sherri Lonon writes for The Sun, a sister publication of the SouthShore News & Tribune.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/30/physician-says-contaminated-drywall-homes-are-agin/