How to Find & Fix Sources of Sulphur Odors or Sewer-Gases, Rotten Egg Smells & Hazards in buildings

What might be causing sulphur odors or rotten egg smells in buildings?
- List of places to look when diagnosing the cause of sulphur smells or sewer gas smells in buildings
CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS & ODORS - separate article describes a sulphur odor source often missed
ODORS IN WATER - separate article
SULPHUR & SEWER GAS SMELL
WATER ODOR DIAGNOSIS - SULPHUR - separate article
WATER ODOR TREATMENTS, CURES - SULPHUR - separate article
WATER SMELLS or ODORS, OTHER - separate article
Questions & Answers about diagnosing and curing sulphur or rotten egg smells in buildings
References

Click to Show or Hide Related Topics

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

How to find and fix the source of sulphur odors and smells in buildings: this article and its companions discusse the common sources of rotten egg odors, sulphur odors or sewer gas smells in buildings and traces them to their possible cause. Examples include Chinese drywall outgassing, dangerous sewer gas leaks, plumbing vent defects, sulfur in drinking water, water heater bacteria, and more. We describe safety, explosion, and bacterial hazards associated with sulphur gases and sewer gases in buildings. Our page top photo shows a subtle clue that can explain a sulphur odor in buildings: discolored copper piping on the air conditioner cooling coil caused by outgassing from Chinese drywall.

How to Find & Fix Sources of Sulphur Odors or "Rotten Egg Smells" in buildings Include Smells Associated with Chinese Drywall & Other Causes in buildings

This article series about building odors discusses the diagnosis and cure of odors from a variety of sources including animals including pets, dogs, cats, or unwanted animals or dead animals, formaldehyde odors in buildings from building products or furnishings, plumbing drains, plastic or vinyl odors from building products, flue gases, oil tanks or oil spills, pesticides, septic odors, sewer gases, and even abandoned chemicals at properties. The page top photo of blackened corrosion on an air conditioner cooling coil is from the U.S. CPSC warning to fire safety professionals.

Readers should see ODORS, Smells, Gases in buildings-Diagnosis & Cure and also see our ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST, PROCEDURE for a quick check that can help identify the source of smells in buildings and see SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors.

Before blaming drywall for building odors, be sure that the smells are not from another detectable source such as sewer gases or a failing hot water tank anode - see ODORS, Smells, Gases in buildings-Diagnosis & Cure for details and see SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors. The FL DOH suggests that reports of sulphur odors indoors are not a reliable indicator that Chinese drywall is present, because of a variety of reasons.

Common Sources of Sulphur Gases & Odors in buildings: Causes of "Rotten Egg" Smells

Electrical conduit leaks conducting septic tank gas: a reader has reported septic gases following electrical conduit from septic pumping station into the principal building. See Seal Septic Gas Leak Through Electrical Conduit?
Chinese drywall contamination can produce dangerous sulphur gases and rotten egg smells in buildings that have driven people from homes, caused costly damage, and in some cases cause health concerns as well.
- See CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS for details about Chinese Drywall problems in U.S. homes. Chinese Drywall outgassing, particularly in homes where drywall was installed in new construction or in remodeling after 2004, creates rotten egg smells & odors, indoor air quality hazards, corrosive outgassing, health hazards, and damage to copper building components such as copper electrical wiring and plumbing - caused by outgassing from Chinese Drywall used in construction in the U.S.
- Some buildings using Chinese drywall do not present a characteristic sulphur odor but may still have corrosion and outgassing problems
- There are multiple possible sources of sulphur gases and sulphur odors in buildings
- Individual sensitivity to odors varies substantially, making odor reports inconsistent, but complaints include headaches, runny noses, and difficulty breathing.
Sulphur odors from well water - see
- Diagnosing and Correcting Sulphur Odors
- WELL WATER CONTAMINANT SOURCES
- More information about causes of and cures for hydrogen sulfide odors in water is at WATER ODORS.
Sulphur gases and odors from a failing hot water tank sacrificial anode - see
- ANODES & DIP TUBES on WATER HEATERS
Sulphur gases and odors from a bacterial contamination of a hot water tank, often curable by cleaning and shocking the tank interior with chlorine or bleach.
Sulphur odors from defects in the building drain waste or vent piping
- PLUMBING FIXTURE TRAPS - dry plumbing traps or leaky traps may be an odor source. Drain noises can be a clue to this problem. We discuss how to diagnose and cure drain sounds at Plumbing Drain Noises.
- Loose toilets or a faulty toilet base wax ring (discussed at SEWER GAS ODORS)
- SEWER GAS ODORS
- SEWER GAS ODORS in COLD WEATHER
- Blocked or improperly installed plumbing vents: see Plumbing Vent Defects for an explanation of sewer gas leaks from building drain vent piping. Transite pipe plumbing vents - an cement-asbestos material, can become delaminated and clogged with age, blocking the plumbing vent system. See Transite Pipes, Chimneys & Flues
- See Building Drain & Sewer Line Odors for the full discussion of odors from building drains & drain piping. Also see Septic System or Sewer Piping for odors from septic systems and sewer lines.
- Illustrations of a leaky cast iron sewer line that sent sewer gases into the building's transite (asbestos cement) heating duct system can be seen at TRANSITE PIPE AIR DUCTS and at CAST IRON DRAIN PIPING.
Watch out: if the sulphur odors in a building are due to sewer gas backups, dangerous levels of possibly explosive methane gas could be present. Also, at SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY we explain that gases produced in a septic tank are dangerous, as a potential source of explosion and as a cause of death by asphyxiation if someone falls into or deliberately enters a septic tank.
Sulphur odors from plumbing traps: Sulphur odors or "septic odors" at a kitchen sink may actually be food odors from a garbage disposer that needs cleaning.
Sulphur odors from a failing or backing-up septic system - see
- See Cure Odors in Septic Systems for the full detailed article on this topic.
- Also see Other Causes of Odors from a Septic System.
- SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS
Sulphur odors originating outdoors - see Site, Weather, or Failing Neighbors
Dead animals: Other odors mistaken for sulphur odors, such as a dead animal in building walls or crawl spaces. We also mention human flatulence which also can have a sulphur odor but will normally be episodic and brief in duration.
LP Gas or Natural Gas Leak odors: Watch out: some people mistake dangerous, possibly explosive LP gas or natural gas leak odors for sulphur gas or sewer odors. See Gas Piping and Tank Defects.

In sum, before blaming drywall for building odors, be sure that the smells are not from another detectable source such as sewer gases or a failing hot water tank anode - see ODORS, Smells, Gases in buildings-Diagnosis & Cure for details and see SMELL PATCH TEST to Track Down Odors. - DF

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about how to find the cause of and cure sulphur (sulfur) odors in buildings

Question: sulphur stains on bathroom shower

Need to know if there is any product or natural way to remove or prevent stains from forming on the bathroom shower. - Anon 10/21/11

Reply:

Try installing a water treatment system that removes sulphur from the water supply is the most effective and general solution to an odor or sulphur (sulfur) related stain issue. I've found that for light staining on fixtures household cleaners work fine; for difficult stains, products intended to remove iron staining often seem to work well on black sulphur stains as well.

Question: smell in justy one room affects my throat; A/C system circulates it to other rooms

Last summer and again this summer every time we run out certral air conditioning unit there is a smell that permeates only one room in the house. the room above the unit. it is not natural gas becasue PSEand G was here and tested using their detector and found nothing. The smell effcts my throat immediately. The system is cirulating the smell or is it causing the smell. Not everyone can smell it either, sometimes I smell it outside as well around the perimeter of the house, Please advise. Soould I call an air conditioning person or a plumber? - Anne Collins 7/7/2012

Reply:

Anne I would start with a careful inspection of that section of ductwork feeding the room where you smell the odor as well as the ceiling or wall cavity wherein the duct is routed. Check for a water or plumbing leak, mold, dead animal keep us posted.

Question: sulfur smell from faucet

How do you stop sulfur smell from faucet that is furthest away from water source (well)? The other faucets do not have the smel - Twinlaker 8/24/12

Reply:

Twinlaker,

Since the sulfur odor is not, by your account, in the water supply itself, just as you do, I suspect a more local source. If you are dead sure that the smell comes from the water, and not from the building, walls, cavities, etc., nor from a drain in that room, then I suspect bacterial contamination of the plumbing fixtures;

Try shocking the well and through that procedure, the plumbing system in the home. Make sure to let the chlorinated water sit in the piping and faucet overnight, preferably 24 hours.

See WELL CHLORINATION & SHOCKING

Question: septic tank odor comes in my home

I have been gone all summer from Arizona and now I'm back how do I get the order to stop coming from the septic tank into my home. - Shirley 10/3/2012

Reply:

Shirley,

It is not proper nor normal operation for a septic tank to stink. If the odor is coming into your home from outside, the best fix is to inspect and diagnose the problem with the septic tank or drainfield and fix that source. Start your diagnosis at SEPTIC SYSTEM ODORS.

Question: how do we pinpoint the source of a rotten egg odor which comes and goes daily

We have a rotten egg odor which comes and goes daily, It is quite strong in the living room, but we cannot pinpoint it.Can it be coming from the back boiler central heating. /we have also picked up the odor in a kitchen cupboard where the electricity meter is,could something with the wiring be causing it. My husband plumbed in a replacement sink about 6 months ago, and I complained about an odor. He fixed it, but could it be that.It's hard to detect the smell as we start to adjust to it. - Pamsie 10/26/2012

Reply:

Pamsie, the odor you describe is most often traced to a sewer gas or bad plumbing vent problem - which makes me suspect that the replacement sink may not be properly vented. But it sounds as if you need help tracking down the odor to its source. We provide quite a few suggestions for how to pinpoint an odor source in a separate article titled ODOR DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST, PROCEDURE.

...

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Questions & answers or comments about diagnosing and curing sulphur or rotten egg smells in buildings

Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below.

Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

ASTM E2600 - 08 Standard Practice for Assessment of Vapor Intrusion into Structures on Property Involved in Real Estate Transactions is available from the ASTM at astm.org/Standards/E2600.htm

"This practice is intended for use on a voluntary basis by parties who wish to conduct a VIA on a parcel of real estate, or more specifically conduct a screening evaluation to determine whether or not there is potential for a VIC, and if so, identify alternatives for further investigation."

The standard goes on to emphasize the uncertainty in testing any site for gases and vapor intrusion.
American Industrial Hygiene Association, 1962. Hydrogen Sulfide. Hygienic Guide Series. Detroit, Michigan.
Amoore, J.E. and Hautala, E., 1983. Odor as an aid to chemical safety: odor thresholds compared with threshold limit values and volatilities for 214 industrial chemicals in air and water dilution. Journal of Applied Toxicology 3, 272-290.
Bates, M.N., Garrett, N. and Shoemack, P., 2002. Investigation of health effects of hydrogen sulfide from a geothermal source. Archives of Environmental Health, 57(5): 405-411.
Gangolli, S. (Ed.), 1999. The Dictionary of Substances and their Effects, 2nd edn. The Royal Society of Chemistry. Cambridge.
Sax, N.I. and Lewis, R.J., Sr., 1989. Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 7th edn. Van Nostrand Reinhold. New York.
Snyder, J.W., Safir, E.F., Summerville, G.P. and Middleberg, R.A., 1995. Occupational fatality and persistent neurological sequelae after mass exposure to hydrogen sulfide. American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 13(2): 199-203.
“Defective Imported Drywall: Don’t Get Nailed by Bogus Tests and Treatments,” (local copy) original source - www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt164.pdf, December 2009.
EMS Testing Laboratories (a nationwide chain in the U.S.) - see http://www.emsl.com
"Draft Report on Preliminary Microbiological Assessment of Chinese Drywall", U.S. CPSC, draft report 26 March 2010, - Web Search 08/03/2010, original Source: http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/microbio.pdf
Lori Saltzman, M.S., Director, Division of Health Sciences, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, Prepared By: Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc., 117 Fourth Avenue, Needham, MA 02494, EH&E Report #16512, March 26, 2010
"Drywall Flaws: Owners Gain Limited Relief, Chinese Product Forces Many From Homes", Andrew Martin, The New York Times, p. 1, 18 September 2010
Germano, et al. v. Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd., et al., case no. 09-6687: Germano Chinese Drywall Lawsuit Case Court Ruling (PDF) - Web Search 06/13/2010 original source: http://www.chinesedrywallprotocol.org/uploads/Germano.pdf
U.S. CPSC & HUD Executive Summary, Chinese Drywall Hazards, published by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, and supported by the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control), the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - original source: http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/execsum0410.pdf
Chinese Drywall information hosted by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, and supported by the US CDC (Centers for Disease Control), the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and HUD, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/index.html
HUD and CPSC Issue Guidance on Repairing Homes With Problem Drywall, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Shaun Donovan, Secretary, Office of Public Affairs, Washington, DC 20410 and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814, Friday April 2, 2010, HUD No. 10-068 HUD Contact: Shantae Goodloe, (202) 708-0685 http://www.hud.gov/news and CPSC Media Contact: Patty Davis, (301) 504-7908 http://www.cpsc.gov- see http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/hud10068.html for details
HUD and CPSC Issue Guidance on Identifying Problem Drywall in Homes, same source as op.cit., - original source: http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/hud10020.html
FHA-insured families experiencing problems associated with problem drywall may be eligible for assistance to help them rehabilitate their properties. HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program may also be a resource to help local communities combat the problem.
"Pay up, US tells drywall makers Government names chinese firms that sold tainted products", William E Gibson, Paul Owers, Sun Sentinel, 26 May, 2010, Palm Beach County FL edition, p. S8. William E. Gibson wgibson@SunSentinel.com - 202-824-8256. Original source: print edition. Online source (less detail) see http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/
fl-drywall-report-0526-20100525,0,7022672.story
"U.S. names Chinese drywall brands with worst emissions", Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2010 - Web Search 08/03/2010 Original Source: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-drywall-20100527,0,3260498.story
"Chinese Drywall Seller Reportedly Aware Of Problem", CBS4 News, May 20, 2010, Web-Seach 08/03/2010 http://cbs4.com/local/Chinese.Drywall.CPSC.2.1565689.html
[Procedures for] Identification of Homes with Corrosion from Problem [Chinese] Drywall, by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, January 28, 2010 - original source: http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/InterimIDGuidance012810.pdf
US CPSC Form for registering information about a drywall incident You can also report a drywall complaint by calling toll-free at 1-800-638-2772 or by sending an e-mail to info@cpsc.gov
U.S. CPSC Interim Remediation Guidance for Homes with Corrosion from Problem Drywall - original source: http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/guidance0410.pdf
CPSC Alert to Fire Safety Professionals - ALERT! Report to CPSC any fires that you suspect are associated with problem drywall - see http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/firesafetyprof.pdf Report problem drywall-related fires to: CPSC’s Rik Khanna at rkhanna@cpsc.gov or 301-504-7546 or Andrew Trotta at atrotta@cpsc.gov or 301-504-7578.
CPSC Staff Preliminary Evaluation of Drywall Chamber Test Results, Reactive Sulfur Gases1, Michael Babich, Ph.D., Mary Ann Danello, Ph.D., Kristina Hatlelid, Ph.D., M.P.H., Joanna Matheson, Ph.D., Lori Saltzman, M.S., and Treye Thomas, Ph.D. March 2010 - see http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/chamber0310.pdf
US CPSC Status Update on Chinese Drywall - March 2010 - see http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall/mar2010status.pdf
U.S. Federal Drywall Information Center website - www.drywallresponse.gov
U.S. Gypsum Corporation, - Web Search 08/03/2010 Quoting from the company's website

We are aware of complaints and lawsuits related to certain wallboard manufactured in China that was imported into Florida in the 2005-2006 timeframe. All of United States Gypsum Company’s wallboard is produced in North America and does not have the problems associated with Chinese made drywall.

U.S. Gypsum also provides information about its use of synethetic gypsum as follows:

Synthetic gypsum has been used to make wallboard in the U.S. for more than 20 years: Since 2000 alone, the U.S. gypsum wallboard manufacturing industry has produced the equivalent of 72,000,000,000 square feet of wallboard made with synthetic gypsum – enough to finish the interior of more than 7,000,000 American homes. Today, all USG SHEETROCK™ brand gypsum wallboard is manufactured using either synthetic gypsum, gypsum mined in North America, or a combination of both.

Synthetic gypsum is identical to mined gypsum: Synthetic gypsum is an environmentally‐friendly product made through a controlled process by which limestone and water are used to “scrub” the emissions from coal‐fired power plants to create the end product calcium sulfate. Calcium sulfate is a high purity mineral identical in chemical composition to mined gypsum. 1 This “scrubbing” process is also called “flue gas desulfurization” (FGD).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency encourages the use of synthetic gypsum in making wallboard: In 1993 and again in 2000, the EPA classified synthetic, or FGD, gypsum as a non‐hazardous waste. The EPA encouraged U.S industry to use FGD gypsum to make wallboard, stating that the use is beneficial to “conserve natural resources, reduce disposal costs, and reduce the total amount of waste destined for disposal.”2 The EPA stated, “[w]e support increases in these beneficial uses, such as . . . use in construction products such as wallboard.”3 As recently as 2008, the EPA highlighted on its website a new wallboard plant that was built near a coal‐fired power plant and would use synthetic gypsum made from scrubbing the power plant’s emissions. ...

- web search 08/03/2010, original source http://www.usg.com/documents/corpcom/synthetic-gyp.pdf

Chinese Drywall information from the Florida state department of Environmental Protection -
http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/indoor-air/casedefinition.html#presence - help with visual identification of Chinese drywall products.
Chinese Drywall References (from the FL DOH article, these documents can be obtained at www.drywallsymposium.com)
- 1. Alessandroni, M. What's the (Elemental S)tory?). Poster Presentation at Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall Nov 5-6, 2009.
- 2. Demott, R., Alessandroni, M., Hayes, H., Freeman, G., Gauthier, T. - Elemental Sulfur and Trace Metal Content in Chinese and Domestic Brands). Poster Presentation at Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall Nov 5-6, 2009.
- 3. Salazar, R., Krause, D., Eldredge, C. - Comparison of Methods Utilized by Commercial Laboratories for Analyses of Bulk Drywall Samples. Poster Presentation at Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall Nov 5-6, 2009.
- 4. Singhvi, R, Lin, Y., Admassu, G., Syslo, J. Field Analysis of Elemental Sulfur in Drywall by GC/ECD. Poster Presentation at Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall Nov 5-6, 2009.
- 5. Spates, W., Rinicker, T., Toburen, T. - Evolution of Chinese Drywall Inspections and Findings Based on Laboratory Data and FDOH Guidelines and the Need to Incorporate New and Productive Inspection Techniques Poster Presentation at Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall Nov 5-6, 2009.
- 6. Tuday, M., Chen, K, Cherazaie, H., Fortune, A., Henton, W., Parnell, C, Dangazyan, M., Cornett, C. Measurement of Corrosive, Odorous and Potentially Harmful Gases from Imported and Domestic Wallboard . Oral Presentation at Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall Nov 5-6, 2009.
- 7. Tedder, R. Disposal Options for Imported Drywall. Oral Presentation at Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall Nov 5-6, 2009.
- 8. Layne, A. EPA’s Activities on Chinese Drywall. Oral Presentation at Technical Symposium on Corrosive Imported Drywall Nov 5-6, 2009.
Reference (Available at http://www.epa.gov/oswer/docs/chinesedrywall.pdf) (Back to top)
- 9. US EPA Environmental Response Team Report on Drywall Sample Analysis. May 7, 2009.
References (Available at http://www.cpsc.gov/info/drywall) (Back to top)
- 10. Garland, S.E., and Greene, M.A. Statistical Analysis of the Chemical Screening of a Small Sample of Unused Chinese and non-Chinese Drywall – Tab A. Oct 28, 2009.
- 11. Interagency Task Force on Chinese Drywall October 29, 2009 Release of Initial Chinese Drywall Studies – Indoor Air Studies. Tab C. Oct 28, 2009
- 12. EH&E Report 16512 for the CPSC. Draft Final Report on an Indoor Environmental Quality Assessment of Residences Containing Chinese Drywall – 51 home study. Nov 18, 2009.

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.

Building inspection education & report writing systems from Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd

Environmental Health & Investigation Bibliography - our own technical library on indoor air quality inspection, testing, laboratory procedures, forensic microscopy, etc.
...


	InspectAPedia^®	InspectAPedia
	Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair	Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair

Ask a Question or Search InspectAPedia

How to Find & Fix Sources of Sulphur Odors or "Rotten Egg Smells" in buildings Include Smells Associated with Chinese Drywall & Other Causes in buildings

Common Sources of Sulphur Gases & Odors in buildings: Causes of "Rotten Egg" Smells

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about how to find the cause of and cure sulphur (sulfur) odors in buildings

Question: sulphur stains on bathroom shower

Reply:

Question: smell in justy one room affects my throat; A/C system circulates it to other rooms

Reply:

Question: sulfur smell from faucet

Reply:

Question: septic tank odor comes in my home

Reply:

Question: how do we pinpoint the source of a rotten egg odor which comes and goes daily

Reply:

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Technical Reviewers & References

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair