Official US Government Information
CPSC Drywall Remediation Advice - Executive Summary PDF
In April of 2010 the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission released new information about the safety of Chinese Drywall. The information advises removing drywall, then replacing electrical switches, outlets, circuit breakers, and smoke detectors. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories indicates that Chinese Drywall releases more than 100 times more hydrogen sulfide than US drywall. Hydrogen sulfide can cause corrosion of all kinds of electrical components, while it also can turn silver items black, and cause problems for air conditioning coils and other electronic equipment. Therefore, getting rid of all the drywall is the first priority, but making sure that you take out the old switches is also critical because they may have been corroded. Similarly, this advice would go with smoke detectors in case their functionality has been compromised.
Notes and Special Information
Special note: Not all drywall is bad. Put the hammer down!