Reports of safety issues and property loss from the use of imported Chinese drywall have proliferated the news. Liability is being argued in the courtrooms while owners of property constructed and repaired with these material are dealing with its consequences. Corrosion of metal piping and electrical work, foul odors, blackening of walls, and other serious problems are among the issues. Drywall is manufactured from gypsum (calcium sulfate); and, while it is still not absolutely certain, current research indicates that the problems arise from the release of certain sulfide gases. It is believed that elevated levels of Strontium (Sr) are indicative of the defective, imported drywall from China. An inter-agency task force is developing standard federal testing protocol to identify defective Chinese Drywall.¹

Innov-X Handheld XRF's are used to test drywall quickly and easily without moving or destroying it. Drywall Detectors, LLC² use Innov-X Handheld XRF to compare levels of Strontium (Sr) and Sulfur (S) in domestic and imported drywall. They reported results for domestic (gray) drywall at levels less than 1,000 ppm for Strontium and at levels less than 1% for Sulfur; while defective Chinese drywall (blue) had elevated levels of Strontium at levels greater than 2,000 ppm and Sulfur with levels at or greater than 2%. Innov-X Handheld XRF can measure up to 25 elements in a single test, including Sr, S, Fe, Ag, Cu and more.