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. 2010 Feb 5;11(2):647-55.
doi: 10.3390/ijms11020647.

Isolation of sulfur reducing and oxidizing bacteria found in contaminated drywall

Dennis G Hooper  1 , John Shane, David C Straus, Kaye H Kilburn, Vincent Bolton, John S Sutton, Frederick T Guilford
Affiliations

Isolation of sulfur reducing and oxidizing bacteria found in contaminated drywall

Dennis G Hooper et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Drywall from China has been reported to release sulfur producing products which are corrosive to metals, result in noxious odors, and represent a significant health risk. It has been reported that these emissions produce medical symptoms such as respiratory or asthma type problems, sinusitis, gastrointestinal disorders, and vision problems in home owners and their household pets. We report here a method of identifying a causative agent for these emissions by sampling affected gypsum wallboard and subjecting those samples to Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction [RT-PCR] studies. Specific DNA probes and primers have been designed and patented that detect a specific iron and sulfur reducing bacterium (i.e., Thiobacillus ferrooxidans). One hundred percent of affected drywall samples obtained from homes located in the southeastern United States tested positive for the presence of T. ferrooxidans. All negative controls consisting of unaffected wallboard and internal controls, Geotrichum sp., tested negative within our limits of detection.

Keywords: Chinese drywall; Thiobacillus ferrooxidans; sulfur emissions; sulfur reducing bacteria.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Representative control curves for bacteria tested in contaminated drywall samples.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Representative geotricum sp. (GEO_control for all tests conducted (internal control). Different concentrations of GEO were added to the same amount of drywall material.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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