ACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is investigating numerous complaints about Chinese drywall in Mississippi homes.

People complain the imported drywall corrodes electrical wiring and can cause breathing problems.

Hood said thousands of homes could have been built using the imported material.

Amy Massachi lives in Florida. She is one of thousands of homeowners in 19 states who have said that the drywall used to build their homes is making them ill.

“I can’t breathe. Every morning I wake up with sinus and allergy problems. My voice is hoarse,” Massachi said.

The drywall’s corrosive nature has turned Massachi’s copper pipes black.

“All of this was supposed to be brand new and I’ve only been in this house a year and a half. This is disgusting,” Massachi said.

Hood said most of the complaints he has received came from the southern part of the state. There haven’t been any complaints from the Jackson area, he said. Hood said that his office is investigating each complaint.

Chinese drywall became a frequent material in the U.S. after Hurricane Katrina, when building materials where scarce, state officials said. Now four years later, homeowners with the drywall in their homes complain a chemical used to make the drywall gives off a smell similar to rotten eggs and causes upper respiratory problems and nose bleeds. Health officials testified about the health effects in Washington, D.C.

Hood asked that residents concerned about Chinese drywall contact his office or the Department of Health. The majority of homes that could have Chinese drywall were built between 2006 and 2007.

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