Defective drywall from China is full of bacteria and fungus and, in at least one case, fecal matter.
That's according to Spiderman S. Mulholland, an expert in building inspections. Mulholland says the drywall is so corroded with bacteria that it's likely causing health issues for those who live in homes built with the defective wall board.
Mulholland announced his findings Sunday at a conference in Orlando for owners of homes with Chinese drywall. He told the hundred or so homeowners that he and his team spent 20,000 hours and about $500,000 testing Chinese drywall.
The defective drywall is in perhaps as many as 100,000 houses nationwide, and
homeowners say the stuff produces gases that corrode metal and cause respiratory problems.
Mulholland, owner of U.S. Building Consultants Inc. in Gainesville, says he tested five samples of Chinese drywall and found evidence of fungi and bacteria in all five.
One sample also included fecal matter, but it's not clear if it's the product of the Chinese manufacturers or the installer.
The
bacteria in the drywall is the most alarming, Mulholland said. It's
feeding on organic matter, which isn't found in drywall manufactured
elsewhere. As it eats the organic matter, it produces the sulfur gases
homeowners say plague homes built with Chinese drywall. And the
bacteria can become airborne, meaning homeowners are breathing it in.
"We have found major bacterial issues that could lead to significant health issues," Mulholland said by phone this afternoon.
Dr.
Patricia Williams, a University of New Orleans toxicologist, also
attended the conference and told homeowners to move out if they're
suffering from health problems from Chinese drywall.
Mulholland
said the bacteria shows that the Chinese drywall was manufactured
incorrectly. "There's no alternative to how this is happening. This
stuff was made with something that's causing this bacteria to grow."
