How to Find & Fix Sources of Sulphur Odors or Sewer-Gases, Rotten Egg Smells & Hazards in buildings
InspectAPedia® -
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
Summary of the Chinese Drywall hazard in buildings
Chinese Drywall indoor air quality concerns
Questions & answers about diagnosing and curing sulphur or rotten egg smells in buildings
This article series discusses 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.
InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest.
We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices,
false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at
InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.
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.
Sources of Sulphur Odors or "Rotten Egg Smells" in buildings Include Smells Associated with Chinese Drywall & Other Causes in buildings
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 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)
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
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
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.
Critique, contributions wanted: Contact Us to suggest corrections or additions to articles at this website, and if you wish, to receive online listing and credit as a contributor. Particular thanks are due to the many experts and also consumers who read and critique technical articles at InspectAPedia.com.
Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.
Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
Mobile View
InspectAPedia ® Home & Site Map
