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
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]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 SheetDrywall 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 SheetHealth Department Resources
Additional Resources
- CPSC, EPA, CDC/ATSDR, HUD Press Statement on Drywall Sampling [PDF - 88 KB]
- Imported Drywall and Your Home [PDF - 114 KB]
- Indoor Air Quality Fact Sheet [PDF - 71 KB]
- PEHSU (Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units) Fact Sheet on Drywall
- Testimony before the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation United States Senate [PDF - 104 KB]
- What You Should Know about Formaldehyde [PDF - 144 KB]
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348 - New Hours of Operation
8am-8pm ET/Monday-Friday
Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov