Asbestos Content In Drywall & Joint Compound - InspectAPedia
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Asbestos Content in Drywall & Joint Compound (drywall mud) What drywall or drywall products & finish systems contain asbestos? Chrysotile & amphibole asbestos hazards - POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about the level of asbestos found in drywall on walls & ceilings.
Does drywall or "sheetrock" contain asbestos?
Is it safe to drill, drive a screw, or hammer a nail into asbestos-suspect drywall?
This article explains where asbestos is likely to be found in gypsum board or drywall systems, particularly in the taping compound and in skim coats using drywall "mud" that contained asbestos.
Asbestos is safe and legal to remain in homes or public buildings as long as the asbestos materials are in good condition and the asbestos can not be released into the air. - US EPA & Others.
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Asbestos content in Drywall, wallboard or "Sheetrock" or gypsum board & in joint compound
Article Contents
- ASBESTOS HAZARDS In DRYWALL - Introduction
- ASBESTOS CONTENT IN DRYWALL MUD
- CHANCES THAT DRYWALL MUD / JOINT COMPOUND CONTAINS ASBESTOS
- CHANCES that DRYWALL or "Sheetrock" CONTAINS ASBESTOS
- HOW MUCH ASBESTOS IS / WAS in JOINT COMPOUND (DRYWALL "MUD")
- INGREDIENTS in JOINT COMPOUND - Drywall Mud
Photo: showing typical joint lines when drywall is run horizontally during installation at the author's offices. If you are testing drywall for asbestos be sure that the drywall mud is tested as well. For that purpose it's useful to know where the mud or joint compound was used most heavily - at joints, corners, and at the ceiling-wall juncture.
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Basic Information about Asbestos Hazards in Drywall
Modern drywall and taping compound do not contain asbestos. However that was not always the case, as we detail here.
If drywall or gypsum board or "Sheetrock®" was installed in your building in North America between the late 1920s and 1980, it is possible that the drywall itself or more-likely the joint compound used on the drywall contains asbestos, primarily chrysotile asbestos.
Not all drywall sold during those years contains asbestos, and it's less commonly found in residential applications.
Keep in mind that asbestos is not like a "radioactive" substance. It is not harmful if it is covered and /or otherwise left undisturbed. Avoid creating a dusty mess.
Excerpting from our master list of asbestos-containing products, ASBESTOS LIST of PRODUCTS we report the following example of evidence of the use of asbestos in drywall or gypsum board.
Principally you'll find that references to asbestos in a drywall system focus on asbestos that was contained in joint compound or in some paint or spray products such as "popcorn ceiling paint" that may have been sprayed on drywall ceilings.
Keep in mind that asbestos-containing joint compound may have been applied not only up to 18" wide over drywall joints but also in patches, repairs, around penetrations or fixtures, and in some buildings as a skim coat over an entire wall or ceiling surface. Drywall systems that may contain asbestos - at least in finishes, taping joint compounds, skim coats, or in systems that applied plaster over gypsum board date from about 1910 through the early 1980's in North America (1982 in Canada).
Taping drywall joints dates from as early as the 1920's. Asbestos-use in plaster overlaps this period. In Canada most provinces classify the asbestos hazard associated with drywall removal as a "low risk or type 1" hazard requiring normal dust control. (Pinchin 2011). The U.S. advice is typified by the U.S. EPA quotes included in the citation below.
For a complete list of all companies who sold products containing asbestos, including those selling ceiling & wall coverings, drywall, rock lath, gypsum board, paints & coatings that contained asbestos,
see ASBESTOS PRODUCING COMPANIES & TRUSTS
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Asbestos Content in Joint Compound or Drywall "Mud"
Drywall or "joint compound" asbestos content: on older buildings may contain asbestos fibers. Asbestos was [probably] universally used in drywall joint compound prior to the early 1980's.
In joint compound the asbestos content varied but typically was between 3-6%.
Even if the gypsum board itself did not contain asbestos this means that by weight the asbestos content of the wall system was about 0.25%. (Redmond 2011), "Sheetrock mud" is a synonym for drywall compound or joint compound that before 1978 may have contained asbestos fibers.
Question: what kinds of asbestos were used in drywall joint compound: Chrysotile or Amphibole?
2016/06/14, Anonymous
What variety of asbestos was used in drywall, Crysotile or amphibole?
Reply: Primarily Chrisotile Asbestos but Amphibole Asbestos may also be present in drywall compound
Both Chrysotile and Amphibole asbestos were the first and second most-widely used forms of asbestos used in many building products. In drywall compound from what I've found, Crysotile was used, but Amphibole was also present.
Until the mid–1970s, however, some joint compounds contained chrysotile asbestos as a filler in the range of 5–15% by weight.(1,5) Amphibole mineral fragments, most commonly in the tremolite series, were reported as sometimes present in concentrations of 2–12%, likely as a contaminant in the chrysotile or talc, ...
... Published historical data on amphibole mineral contaminants in joint compound, however, do not provide sufficient information to conclude that the minerals were amphibole asbestiform fibers and not elongate tremolite cleavage fragments.
Until the characteristics of the mineral being studied are clearly determined, there will be confusion as to the biological effect of asbestos and non-asbestos amphibole minerals.
Exposure monitoring in the 1970s reported peak asbestos fiber concentrations (as total fibers) in excess of the then Threshold Limit Value (TLV) of 5 fibers longer than 5 μm per cc (5 f/cc) during the mixing of dry-mix joint compound with water,(9) sanding of joint compound, and clean-up activities. - (Boelter 2015)
And
Asbestos minerals are divided into two major groups: Serpentine asbestos and amphibole asbestos. Serpentine asbestos includes the mineral chrysotile, which has long, curly fibers that can be woven.
Chrysotile asbestos is the form that has been used most widely in commercial applications.
Amphibole asbestos includes the minerals actinolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, and amosite. Amphibole asbestos has straight, needle-like fibers that are more brittle than those of serpentine asbestos and are more limited in their ability to be fabricated. - (US NIH Cancer Institute 2022)
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Diagnostic Questions Help Guess at Risk of Asbestos in Gypsum Board / Drywall or "Sheetrock®"
If you can establish the date of the home's construction that gives a floor under the "does my drywall contain asbestos" question - particularly when you add country and city of installation.
1. Check drywall back and edges for identifying stamps, dates, standards bar-codes. Sometimes we get lucky in dating drywall from stamps and labels.
ASTM Standard C36 Standard Specification for Gypsum Wallboard (Withdrawn 2005) was replaced by Active Standard ASTM C1396 / C1396M - but that doesn't give us an "earliest" date and had versions published in 1997 - 2003.
Similarly the sticker doesn't give an "earliest" date for ASTM C1396 / C1396M-17, Standard Specification for Gypsum Board, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2017, www.astm.org
2. Location of drywall installation: What are the country and city and date of construction of your home
3. Type of drywall installation: is the drywall installed in an area where fire-resistant drywall is likely to have been used such as in a boiler room or on a wall between a garage and occupied living space?
4. Age: date of drywall installation or dates of building: When was the specific drywall installed? Was it from original construction or from a later renovation or addition?
5. Drywall manufacturer: Even without finding stamps, stickers, or codes that help date a drywall or gypsum board product, if a stamp identifies the manufacturer (as most do) and if you know the ages or dates of the drywall you can often contact the company to ascertain if they ever used asbestos in their gypsum board products and if so during what years was that product manufactured. Also see ASBESTOS PRODUCING COMPANIES & TRUSTS where we list companies known to have used asbestos in various products and where we give dates of that use.
In your case the Canadian company CGC is a major manufacturer of gypsum board products as well as acoustical ceilings. The company has locations around the world. CGC does appear in our list of known asbestos users. USG and probably CSG products known to contain asbestos were produced between about 1920 and 1978. Contact the company at:
- CGC Inc. Corporate Office 350 Burnhamthorpe Road West 5th Floor Mississauga, Ontario L5B 3J1 Tel. (905) 803-5600 Fax (905) 803-5688 Toll free: 1-800-565-6607 Customer Service: Toll Free#: 1-800-387-2690
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What is the Actual Level of Asbestos Found in Joint Compound or Drywall Systems?
Drywall or "joint compound" asbestos content: on older buildings may contain asbestos fibers. Asbestos was universally used in drywall joint compound prior to the early 1980's. In joint compound the asbestos content varied but typically was between 3-6%.
Plaster disclosure research often helps identify products that contained asbestos even though some disclosures do not give percentages of asbestos in the product mix.
For example, Kaiser Gypsum Company, Inc. produced joint compound in at least three product lines that may have contained asbestos including Kaiser Gypsum Joint Compound and Kaiser One-Day Joint Compound produced between 1953 and 1975, Kaiser Dual Purpose Joint Compound (undated) and Kaiser "Hard Top" insulating cement produced between 1964 and 1972.
Refractory cement used in heating boilers and possibly in some fireplaces in the form of a cementious plaster may also have contained asbestos.\
Note that many of these drywall and joint compound producers also produced products specifically identified as "asbestos free", such as US Gypsum's asbestos-free joint compound patented in 1975 and cited below.
Even if the gypsum board itself did not contain asbestos this means that by weight the asbestos content of the wall system was about 0.25%. (Redmond 2011), "Sheetrock mud" is a synonym for drywall compound or joint compound that before 1978 may have contained asbestos fibers.
- Asbestos in Joint Compound, Bondex: [Note that asbestos was commonly used in other brands of joint compound as well.] Bondex manufactured a joint compound that was commonly used on construction sites during the installation of drywall. From 1961 to 1977, Bondex joint compound contained asbestos. - retrieved 15 June 2015 original source: www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=54841 [LOIS J. WAGNER, ROBIN G. ) WAGNER and WENDE L. WAGNER, ) Individually and as Wrongful Death ) Beneficiaries of ROBERT WAGNER, ) ) Appellant-Respondent, ) ) WD72474 (Consolidated with WD72482 v. ) and WD72619) ) BONDEX INTERNATIONAL, INC., and ) Opinion filed: June 19, 2012 SIMPSON TIMBER COMPANY, ) ) Respondent-Appellant, ) ) CONWED CORPORATION, ) ) Defendant. ) APPEAL FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF CLAY COUNTY, MISSOURI The Honorable Kathryn E. Davis, Judge Before Division Four: Lisa White Hardwick, Chief Judge, Presiding, Joseph M. Ellis, Judge and Victor C. Howard, Judge]
- ASBESTOS CONTAINING COMPOUND in WALLBOARD [PDF] (2000) Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, WISHA, WISHA Policy & Technical Services at P.O. Box 44648 USA, Tel: (360)902-5503. DOSH Website (www.lni.wa.gov/Safety-health/). - retrieved 2021/03/24 original source: www.lni.wa.gov/dA/fe0b92a166/WRD2330.pdf Notes from this document: The level of asbestos in drywall ranges from none to just a few percent and the level of asbestos used in joint compound was also zero to about 5 percent by weight.
- Brorby, G. P., P. J. Sheehan, D. W. Berman, J. F. Greene, and S. E. Holm. "Re-creation of historical chrysotile-containing joint compounds." Inhalation toxicology 20, no. 11 (2008): 1043-1053. Abstract Chrysotile-containing joint compound was commonly used in construction of residential and commercial buildings through the mid 1970s; however, these products have not been manufactured in the United States for more than 30 years. Little is known about actual human exposures to chrysotile fibers that may have resulted from use of chrysotile-containing joint compounds, because few exposure and no health-effects studies have been conducted specifically with these products. Because limited amounts of historical joint compounds are available (and the stability or representativeness of aged products is suspect), it is currently impossible to conduct meaningful studies to better understand the nature and magnitude of potential exposures to chrysotile that may have been associated with historical use of these products. Therefore, to support specific exposure and toxicology research activities, two types of chrysotile-containing joint compounds were produced according to original formulations from the late 1960s. To the extent possible, ingredients were the same as those used originally, with many obtained from the original suppliers. The chrysotile used historically in these products was primarily Grade 7RF9 from the Philip Carey mine. Because this mine is closed, a suitable alternate was identified by comparing the sizes and mineral composition of asbestos structures in a sample of what has been represented to be historical joint compound (all of which were chrysotile) to those in samples of three currently commercially available Grade 7 chrysotile products. The re-created materials generally conformed to original product specifications (e.g. viscosity, workability, crack resistance), indicating that these materials are sufficiently representative of the original products to support research activities.
- Dahlgren, James, and Trevor Peckham. "Mesothelioma associated with use of drywall joint compound: a case series and review of literature." International journal of occupational and environmental health 18, no. 4 (2012): 337-343
- Earl, Maynard, and Mitchell P. Ptasienski. "Substantially dry joint compound comprising calcium sulfate, polyvinyl acetate and starch." U.S. Patent 3,297,601, issued January 10, 1967. Original assignee, United States Gypsum Co. Excerpt: Casein or certain refined soya proteins solubilized in water by alkaline materials are used extensively for this purpose. When properly blended with fillers such as ground asbestos, mica, clays and limestone and perhaps preservatives and thickening agents such as natural gums, a joint compound is obtained which is capable of binding the joint tapes in place and providing a smooth surface.
- Henkel, William W. "Method of plastering wall surfaces and joint sealing compound used therein." U.S. Patent 3,382,119, issued May 7, 1968. Original assignee: Valspar Corporation, a North American manufacturer of paints & coatings since 1806. Excerpt: The joint compound was made up in a quantity of 2500 /2 lbs. as follows (dry basis): 2100 lbs. No. 3 Whiting calcium carbonate obtained from Thomson Weinman & Co., 180 lbs. Mineralite M260 mica from Mineralite Sales Corp, 98 lbs. of #7RF-l0 asbestos from Carey- Canadian Mines Ltd. and 25 lbs. of Mistron Monomix Talc from Sierra Talc Co., were mixed to provide the filler. 57 lbs. Gelva Powder 702 (polyvinyl acetate) from Shawinigan Resin Corp, and 19 lbs. #2030 BP (polyvinyl alcohol) from Shawinigan were mixed to provide the binder. The adjuvant included 14 lbs. of #4000 HG- 65 Methocel obtained from Dow Chemical Co., and 5% lbs. potassium tripolyphosphate from Kraft Chemical and 1% lbs. anhydrous sodium acetate was obtained from Kraft Chemical Co. ... I find that to achieve the advantageous integration of the joint cement with the gypsum panels, the characteristic of the filler should follow that of the optimum formulation set forth above, particularly relative to mica and asbestos. This is helpful not only in the plastering procedure set forth in the above example, but, also in the dry wall operation where crackless joints are mandatory. For the asbestos, I find the fiber should be of such a length (dry) as to have slightly under 50% retained on a 35 mesh Tyler sieve. The actual distribution of asbestos fibers in this drywall product was as given in Table I below: Table I Mesh size Percentage retained 14 Trace 28 2.0 35 40.0 100 35.0 200 1.5 Pan 16.5 The bulk density of the asbestos fibers was about 10.5 lbs. per cubic foot and the wet volume (settling rate for fibers of a given weight and a given quantity of water) was two hours for 10 grams in 500 cc. of water and four hours for 50 grams in 2000 cc. of water. The absorbability of the asbestos was determined in a number of ways to characterize the optimum formulation.
- Raffaelli, Albert F., and Paul W. Tillisch. "Joint structure for plasterboard." U.S. Patent 3,180,058, issued April 27, 1965. Excerpt: In the production of the indentations a plasterboard calcined gypsum, such slurry being understood to contain any desired additive or modifying ingredient such as starch, expanded perlite, vermiculite, asbestos, sawdust, glass or paper fibers, an accelerator such as K 50 or a retarder such as partially hydrolyzed protein, and any other desired ingredient.
- Redmond, David, "Summary of recent research about the risks of removing asbestos-containing drywall joint compound during residential renovation", [PDF] (2011), retrieved 2015/12/10, original source: http://www.chba.ca/uploads/CRC/ACDJC%20Presentation%20-%20October%202011.pdf The author refers to asbestos containing drywall joint compound as ACDJC and notes that it contains chrysotile asbestos. He asserts that the asbestos hazards from ACDJC are mitigated by noting that the asbestos form was chrysotile asbestos, a less dangerous form of asbestos (amphibole asbestos is more dangerous and was less widely used in building products).
- Rohl, A. N., A. M. Langer, I. J. Selikoff, and W. J. Nicholson. "Exposure to asbestos in the use of consumer spackling, patching, and taping compounds." Science 189, no. 4202 (1975): 551-553. Abstract: Analysis of representative samples of spackling, patching, and jointing compounds, purchased at retail stores in the New York City area, has shown that some contain asbestos minerals as well as other biologically active substances. Measurements suggest that home repair work involving the use of such materials may result in exposure to dust at concentrations sufficient to produce disease.
- Simmons, Catherine E., Rachael M. Jones, and Fred W. Boelter. "Factors influencing dust exposure: finishing activities in drywall construction." Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene 8, no. 5 (2011): 324-336.
- Williams, Terrance L. "Asbestos-free joint compounds." U.S. Patent RE29,753, issued September 5, 1978. United States Gypsum Company, assignee.
- Williams, Terrance L., "Asbestos-free joint compounds." U.S. Patent 3,891,453, issued June 24, 1975. Original Assignee: United States Gypsum. Excerpt: A joint compound which is preferably asbestos-free, for use in finishing joints between wallboards, comprising a filler, a binder, and any two or all three of a water-holding agent; a slip-inducing colloid; and a non-swelling clay having sufficient pseudoplasticity to render the composition non-leveling.
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Basic Constituents in Joint Compound - Drywall Mud
Bottom line: Drywall mud is composed of Limestone, Attapulgite, Talc, Mica, Perlite
The question of which and when some joint compound products contained asbestos is discussed above on this page.
Here we summarize the normal ingredients in drywall joint compound products and cite manufacturers' information sources for that information.
Based on the USG SDS describing the ingredients in Sheetrock (C) All Purposee Joint Compound (and similar products), the principal ingredient in most joint compound or drywall mud compounds is limestone, at about 60% by weight.
Other common drywall ingredients include Attapulgite and Perlite, or Attapulgite and/or Mica at less than 20% by weight for those ingredients.
Some of the sources we reviewed claimed smaller percentages of minerals other than limestone.
Other drywall joint compound products may contain talc, so also see ASBESTOS in TALCUM POWDER.
Some joint compound products such as British Gypsum (Saint-Gobain)'s Gyproc Joint Filler are composed of a mixture of Calcium sulfate hemhydrate (Gypsum) and Limestone.
In a few descriptions of both drywall (gypsum board itself) or of drywall joint compound (drywall mud) encounted at other online sources you may read that the primary ingredient is "gypsum dust". In our OPINION that's an ambiguous description).
Gypsum and lime are two different substances:
- Gypsum is Calcium sulfate (CaSO₄)
- Lime is Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) Limestone is principally composed of lime in fhe form of calcium carbonate or (CaCO₃) . Where you see the mineral name Aragonite, note that aragonite is chemically the same ingredient, (CaCO₃)
Here is Wikipedia's definition of Limestone:
Limestone is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate CaCO₃).
Here is Wikipedia's definition of Aragonite:
Aragonite is a carbonate mineral and one of the three most common naturally occurring crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), the others being calcite and vaterite. It is formed by biological and physical processes, including precipitation from marine and freshwater environments.
Finally, some drywall mud products may contain additional plasticizers or ingredients to either speed hardening or to slow down hardening or working time, as may be wanted in some applications.
Joint Compound Ingredients Research Citations
You will notice that different countries have different reporting regulations concerning the ingredients in their products. So, for example, the Australian SDS from Knauf seems not to list the primary or main ingredient in the product.
- British Gypsum, Saint Gobain, Safety Data Sheet, Gyproc Joint Filler [PDF] (2020) Mixtures: Calcium sulfate hemihydrate, 50-80%, Limestone 25-50%.
- Knauf Drywall Joint Putty Safety Data Sheet [PDF] (2019) Knauf de Colombia, SAS, Excerpts: Dry sanding of this product creates dust. Prolonged exposure to this dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, nose, throat, and upper respiratory tract. Minor amounts of vinyl acetate fumes are released from these products and can accumulate on the packaging. When the package is opened, the trapped vapors escape and dissipate rapidly. This tends to occur more frequently with products packed in kegs. Composition: Water, Calcium Cargonate, Cellulose, Vinyl Acetate Polymer, Mica, Attapulgite, CMIT . MIT, Polyvinyl Alcohol.
- Knauf All Purpose Premix / Total Joint Finish SDS [PDf] (2024) Knauf Gypsum Pty Ltd (ACN 004 231 976) 3 Thackeray St Camellia NSW 2142 Australia Non Hazardous Components: Perlite - < 10%, Attapulgite (palygorskite) non-fibrous (
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