No, that may have been the case over 20 years ago when animal protein binders were used, but not anymore. Since the early 1980’s non-water-soluble polyurethane binders have been used to adhere the granules together to make Amorim composition cork products. These polyurethane binders also produce no post installation off gassing and do not leech into ground water supplies. AcoustiCORK products can be totally immersed in water for 30 days or more and show no signs of structural deterioration.