Looking back on our evolving practice in supporting real estate managers, I would like to think that August Mack and other environmental firms working in this arena would have put a dent into mitigating all of the lead-based paint, asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in buildings. Yet, the frequency at which we get involved in these issues keeps increasing. In some cases, the driver is new regulations. In other cases, the driver is the discovery of a risk that no one previously knew existed. Such is the case with PCBs in building caulk and Chinese drywall.

PCBs in Building Caulk
PCBs in caulk is an emerging trend that could impact many buildings. PCBs came into use in the 1930s as coolants and lubricants for electrical equipment, including transformers, capacitors, vacuum pumps turbines, surface coatings, plasticizers, pesticide extenders and copy paper. PCBs were found to be a carcinogen were banned in the United States by the mid 1970s. In recent years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has learned that caulk containing potentially harmful PCBs was used in many buildings, including schools, in the 1950s through the 1970s. In general, buildings built after 1978 do not contain PCBs in caulk. If buildings were erected or renovated between 1950 and 1978, the EPA recommends owners implement steps to minimize exposure to potentially contaminated caulk in the following ways: 

• Cleaning air ducts
• Improving ventilation by opening windows and using or installing exhaust fans where possible
• Cleaning frequently to reduce dust and residue inside buildings 
• Using a wet or damp cloth or mop to clean surfaces 
• Not sweeping with dry brooms and minimizing the use of dusters in areas near potential PCB-containing caulk 
• Using vacuums with high efficiency particulate air filters 
• Washing hands with soap and water often, particularly before eating and drinking 
• Washing children’s toys often

EPA also recommends testing peeling, brittle, cracking or deteriorating caulk directly for the presence of PCBs and removing the caulk if PCBs are present at significant levels. Alternately, the building owner can assume the PCBs are present and proceed directly to remove deteriorating caulk. Building owners and facility managers should also consider testing to determine if PCB levels in the air exceed EPAs suggested public health levels.

Chinese Drywall
Chinese drywall refers to defective or tainted drywall imported from China from 2001 to 2007. Typically, Chinese drywall will emit sulfur gasses in high humidity. This condition will create a noticeable odor and quickly corrode copper and other metal surfaces. Buildings with Chinese drywall have experienced damage to air conditioners, electrical wiring, copper plumbing, appliances and electronics. Hundreds of millions of sheets of Chinese drywall were imported from 2004 to 2006, but Chinese drywall has recently been found in homes built or remodeled as early as 2001. The presence of Chinese drywall has been reported in 37 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Chinese drywall is 1/2" in width and is typically mixed in with untainted drywall, which is why building owners and facility managers should not assume their building is fine if they find U.S. drywall. Moreover, U.S. drywall may have been manufactured in China and rebranded.

For additional information on Chinese drywall and PCBs in building caulk, click here to register to attend our upcoming May 18th webinar on the subject.