Carbon Monoxide: Gypsum Wallboard Does Not Keep Out Toxic Gas

A recent study shows that gypsum wallboard may not keep out carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and toxic gas.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because the gas is impossible to see, taste or smell, the toxic fumes can kill those near without warning. Many who have lost their lives due to CO poisoning have experienced the problem in their home.

For some lower levels of exposure can be seen when CO causes mild effects that are most mistakenly known as the flu. Such symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue, and the effects of too much exposure can greatly vary depending on person to person depending on age, health and length of exposure, the organization notes.

"Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a significant U.S. health problem, responsible for approximately 500 accidental deaths annually, and a risk of 18 percent to 35 percent for cognitive brain injury 1 year after poisoning. Most morbidity and mortality from CO poisoning is believed to be preventable through public education and CO alarm use. States have been enacting legislation mandating residential CO alarm installation. However, as of December 2012, 10 of the 25 states with statutes mandating CO alarms exempted homes without fuel-burning appliances or attached garages, believing that without an internal CO source, risk is eliminated. This may not be true if CO diffuses directly through wall-board material," wrote Neil B. Hampson, M.D., of Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, and colleagues, via a press release.

Researchers note that when dividing a Plexiglas chamber into various configurations of gypsum wallboard thicknesses, carbon monoxide gas that was infused in the area could be reached in the noninfused chambers. This could be potentially dangerous for those inhabiting similar living conditions.

The researchers even found that it was possible for diffusion when thickness was increased.

They concluded with the following, via the release: "Gypsum's permeability to CO is due to its porosity. ... The ability of CO to diffuse across gypsum wallboard may explain at least some instances of CO poisoning in contiguous residences. Exempting residences without internal CO sources from the legislation mandating CO alarms may put people in multifamily dwellings at risk for unintentional CO poisoning."

More information regarding the study can be found via JAMA.