If I am reading this correctly, it still does not mean that it is safe.

*professor Farnsworth* Good news everyone...
But seriously if the outgassing of the drywall is oxidizing copper and causing failures on what planet do we assume it's not harmful to humans/pets.

@FatLynn: No. It's not. But it's not radioactive!

Tell that to the 50' contractor rampaging through downtown.

"Hey, Radioactive Bob Villa! It wasn't the sheetrock!"

@Cameraman: Sheetrock is actually a name brand. The questionable drywall is most decidedly NOT Sheetrock.

So it doesn't even provide ambient lighting?

I never thought the problem was radiation. It was more some outgassing (from chemicals?) that could corrode copper and was probably harmful to breathe. It's like pressure treated lumber that used to be treated (no more) with arsenic, but at least that was used outside.

@H3ion: Yea but someone was paid to test for radioactivity which came back negative. So someone got to do a job and we got good news back (news that isn't necessarily relevant to the corroding of copper but still good news).

You know what else isn't radioactive?
Poop.
That doesn't mean I want to build a house out of it.

@FDCPAGuy: I was thinking the same thing...

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE!

Does this also mean that it isn't haunted?

@H3ion: Define "Outside".
Every bottom plate (the piece of lumber where the wall attaches to the foundation) of a stud wall in your stick framed home or apartment is pressure treated lumber. The only thing between you and that arsenic, on older houses, is a layer of drywall. Hopefully not from China.

@FDCPAGuy: It is probably considered safe.

I imagine it is safe. I've worked in a couple chemical plants that had areas where computer boards would corrode within a few months and components would fail monthly.

But what if I want that healthy glow you get from radioactive drywall?

@Laura Northrup: too bad...the glow would probably help save on light bills!

Great, so while it may not be radioactive, the high sulfer off-gassing produced by the drywall will still cause anything metal in my house to corrode/pit, the house to reek, and there are still health issues associated with constantly breathing in high sulfur concentrations.

I have a friend whose house happens to have some of the Chinese drywall. His AC's evaporator coil already had to be replaced once just 3 years after it was installed due to the corrosion.

"Results of the testing showed levels that do not pose a radiation safety risk"

So, in fact, they are radioactive, just not abnormally or hazardously so.

@FDCPAGuy: To be fair, exposure to the atmosphere oxidizes copper as well (albeit slowly), so that alone is not reason to declare something unsafe.

Just clarifying-this drywall is undoubtedly toxic and frightens me.

@FDCPAGuy:

Wearing a steel watch isn't harmful to people, but it will rot out your copper pipes.

Other similar things: Salt water (swimming, not drinking!), vitamin C, vinegar, the list goes on.

Doesn't mean that what this crap is offgassing is safe, but it does mean that just because it can rot copper it won't rot you. :)

@yagisencho:

Everything in the known universe emits radiation, the amount is the key.