Smelly Chinese Plastics

[Deja Vu]

My post was regarding American crapola.

Right! American vendors out to make a quick buck...at their fellow American's expense.

[JMS6449]

Actually, those handles are made of cellulose butyrate; it releases butyric acid as it ages.... same smell as rancid butter, btw.

Xcelite screwdriver handles do this a lot.

- Bart

cellulose acetate butyrate

[JCHannum]

The Chinese drywall problem has not "dropped off the radar". The Consumer Product Safety Commission has recommended that thousands of homes with the contaminated drywall be gutted.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6357580.shtml

Acid soil and water corrosion of copper pipe is well known. The drywall corrosion is recent and specific to those homes with the contaminated drywall.

[Evan]

It dropped off the radar because of this:

* Indoor air studies of 10 homes in Florida and Louisiana found that sulfur gases were either not present or were present in only limited or occasional concentrations inside the homes, and only when outdoor levels of sulfur compounds in the air were elevated. The indoor air study did lead to a preliminary finding of detectable concentrations of two known irritant compounds, called acetaldehyde and formaldehyde. These irritant compounds were detected in homes both with and without Chinese drywall, and at concentrations that could worsen conditions such as asthma in sensitive populations, when air conditioners were not working or turned off.

The feds must be seen to be taking action. Many people are convinced there is a problem even without evidence. After two years of studying this they still are saying that their "investigations are incomplete" meaning that no matter how hard they try they can't pin it on the drywall.

From the very latest study at the Berkeley Lab.

There are a number of uncertainties that limit the ability of the model to accurately estimate the levels of sulfur gases in actual homes. The tested wallboard samples were from a warehouse, where the stacking may have limited emissions of the sulfur compounds during storage and increased the tested chamber emissions relative to drywall that had been installed in homes. The tested drywall samples were not painted or otherwise coated, which likely increased drywall emissions relative to drywall installed in
a home. Homes may have drywall from multiple manufacturers and sources. There is a general lack of data on reactive decay rates for the sulfur gases. The decay factors used in the model are estimates based on our professional judgment and it is unknown whether they may over or under-predict results in actual homes.

In other words, they don't have a clue and can't prove anything.

Final statement at the end of the study with extreme waffle wording.

As with any mathematical model-based exposure assessment, there are numerous assumptions, limitations, and sources of uncertainty that should be further explored. For example, the model employed in this analysis and with the CPSC October 2009 total sulfur and VOC analysis is a commonly used indoor air model for estimating indoor air concentrations of chemicals released from materials in homes. Other models for estimating indoor air concentrations exist (e.g.could provide more or less conservative estimates of chemical concentrations. In all cases though, the result of the estimation is dependent on the quality of the input parameters.

http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/chamber0310.pdf

Believe what you will but I like to rely on facts.

[JCHannum]

The facts are that there are thousands of homes in the affected area with chinese drywall and corroding copper pipes and wiring, yet at the same time, there are tens of thousands of homes in the same area with non-corroding copper pipes and non-chinese drywall.

[Evan]

The additional fact is that there are millions of homes with corroded copper and no drywall at all. The "fact" that some of the homes with corroded copper have Chinese drywall means only that they have corroded copper and Chinese drywall in the same house. They also have rugs and couches and who knows what else? The study admits that may even be relevant.

If there were a real and conclusive connection we wouldn't still be discussing it. Instead there would be facts and I would recognize and accept the cause and effect since it would have been proven using the scientific method rather than by trying to convince people by way of half truths and "studies" that intentionally do not take into account the relevant factors that have a direct influence on the results. Fortunately the scientists involved seem to be ethical enough to admit that their "study" is hugely flawed and probably does not represent reality.

They pretty well have to do that since if they reveal the methodology used which they must to be taken seriously, then the results must be repeatable as well. Since the methodology is fatally flawed then so are the results. However, that isn't their fault as I expect that the methodology was not their choice.

It is two years now that they have been trying without success to prove a real connection between the drywall and the shoddy construction problems. They will not succeed since it is obvious that there is no connection. Fortunately for the Government there are many people such as yourself that are willing to believe in a connection without conclusive evidence and that is all they really want and need.

[lazlo]

Right! American vendors out to make a quick buck...at their fellow American's expense.

It's not an American thing -- all industrialized nations have outsourced to China. Arc Euro, Hare & Forbes, Busy Bee, ... all carry the same stuff that Harbor Freight and Enco do.

[dp]

Originally Posted by dp
Check your copper pipes - it could be the next big thing since the Chinese drywall scare. Anyone surprised at how fast that dropped under the radar?

I suppose you DO know that is because the offending material (from Knauf) is not imported anymore, and the manufacturers have cleaned up somewhat...... and NOT because it was some sort of scam.....

Right about here the inexperienced sportsman would give the rod a yank and hope for a snag. But with a little patience you just let them swallow the bait.

[JCHannum]

Fortunately for the Government there are many people such as yourself that are willing to believe in a connection without conclusive evidence and that is all they really want and need.

Do you want to talk C-clamps here?

[Evan]

That's in another thread. Go ahead if you have something of substance to add.