I just spoke with a Metallurgical Engineer (Frank Grates from QC Metallurgical, Inc.). He's been dealing with the Chinese Drywall situation for 2 years now and has done many tests on the drywall itself and the components that it emits.
I called him because I was interested in doing a test of the electrical panel in my house. Recent news reports have stated that the corrosion from the Chinese Drywall is a fire hazard so I wanted to investigate this further. Frank wholeheartedly believes that it is very much a fire hazard.
What was most shocking to me is that he's witnessed some homes that the corrosion in the electrical lines even goes down BELOW the foundation - as much as 18 inches below the slab. So any remediation protocol by a builder or construction company, must ensure that there is no corrosion below the slab either, or the problem could persist. I was certainly beyond shocked to hear that they would have to go through the flooring and under the foundation. He also said that sometimes the corrosion goes inside the protective sheething of electrical wires from the ends where the copper is exposed. They'll have to cut out much more copper to get to a "clean" copper line too.
I will let you know what happens in my case. I can send him a sample and he'll have it chemically analyzed with a full report for $75.
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