CDC's Response to Imported Drywall

Room with unfinished drywall The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have been working since spring 2009 to support the Consumer Product Safety Commission in learning more about imported drywall and potential related health risks.

For the latest news updates about drywall study findings, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Defining the hazard

To learn about possible health effects of exposure to chemicals in imported drywall, scientists must first understand if and how those chemicals enter people’s bodies.
CDC is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and state health departments to learn about possible health problems from living in a home with imported drywall.
CDC is helping the federal agencies responsible for indoor and outdoor air testing make sure that the results can help answer health questions.

Reports and Fact Sheets

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Review of deaths

The review summarizes investigations by state public health authorities of the medical records of 11 people who died and had lived in or visited homes reported to contain problem drywall. Authorities concluded that problem drywall was not a factor in the deaths. Read the Review [PDF - 66 KB]

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Answering health questions

CDC is working closely with state health departments to tell people concerned about problem drywall how to protect their health. Read the Fact Sheet

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Drywall and Your Home

Do you have imported drywall? CDC and ATSDR support CPSC and HUD’s recommendations to remove problem drywall from homes. Read this fact sheet to learn how to identify potential drywall problems in your home and for additional health and safety information. Read the Fact Sheet