More Chinese products threaten American health

First it was lead and other dangerous products in toys. Then it was a chemical that artificially boosted the protein content of pet food and baby formula -- but killed pets and endangered babies as well.

Now it's cheap drywall that gives off sulfer dioxide in new or newly remodeled homes, making the people and pets who live there ill.

According to the latest information from the Consumer Produce Safety Commission, 877 reports have been received from residents in 24 states and the District of Columbia who believe their health symptoms, or the corrosion of metal components in their homes are related to the presence of drywall produced in China.

First reported in late 2008, the majority of the reports to the CPSC have come from consumers in the Florida while others have come from Alabama, Arizona, California, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

The callers largely report that their homes were built in 2006 or 2007, when an unprecedented increase in new construction occurred in part due to the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.

Their complaints?

a "rotten egg" smell within their homes.

irritated and itchy eyes and skin, difficulty in breathing, persistent cough,

bloody noses, runny noses, recurrent headaches, sinus infection and asthma attacks.

blackened and corroded metal components in homes and the frequent replacement of components in air conditioning units.

The lesson?

Sometimes a bargain product is no bargain, especially if it comes from China.

More information is available at: http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/index.htm