The first homes known to have Chinese drywall are coming up for sale in Florida, as new concerns arise over formaldehyde emissions from Chinese composite wood products. Chinese drywall has been found to have toxic components not present in U.S.-manufactured drywall. The components have been blamed for respiratory problems and other ailments. Drywall and other building products from China were used in U.S. residential construction during the boom years. In Northwest Cape Coral, Florida, a never-lived-in, four-bedroom, two-bath home is selling for just $19,800 because it is infected with Chinese drywall, a local television station reported.

The presence of Chinese drywall can have a dramatic impact on property values. For example, the home selling for less than $20,000 might otherwise sell for around $70,000 if it did not have the toxic wallboard, WINK-TV reported. Re/Max Realtors told the station’s news program that they will essentially blacklist properties known to have the toxic board so agents and appraisers don’t factor in the ultra-low sale figure. Meanwhile, two U.S. senators are seeking to establish nationwide standards for formaldehyde emissions in composite wood products after problems surfaced in a Lennar Corp. community in California, the Sarasota Herald Tribune reported. “High levels of formaldehyde are a health threat,” the paper quoted Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), as saying. She is co-sponsoring legislation with Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to set standards for formaldehyde emissions. Homeowners with Lennar-built homes in Indio, California, outside Palm Springs, are experiencing burning sensations in their mouths and lungs, sore throats, headaches, and odors they believe may be tied to chemical gases — potentially formaldehyde — coming from their walls, the Sarasota paper reported. The Miami-based company declined to comment to the newspaper on the formaldehyde question or whether it used imported wood products in its Indio homes.