Methamphetamine Residue Testing

Methamphetamine use has been on the rise in the past decade, leading to more contaminated buildings and vehicles. The contaminant comes from aerosols created in both the use (smoking) and the manufacturing of the drug, but it's the manufacturing in clandestine labs that leaves the most residue and is thus the most concerning. Residue could also come from disposal and storage of meth or the precursors for manufacturing. Prevalence of meth in DEA reports is up 139% from 2007 to 2018.

While testing may not be required by the seller of a property, the buyer often has the right to demand a certified testing for meth before a sale. If methamphetamine is found above the state implemented threshold, then the seller is required to decontaminate the property before it can be sold. The action level for meth contamination varies by state, and some states have no regulation. Buying a property and then testing it after the purchase is finalized can leave the buyer with an expensive remediation, so testing first is important to avoid this costly mistake.

The health hazards that have been found to be associated with meth contamination are similar to those from using the drug. The most reported symptom is respiratory irritation with cough and asthma-like symptoms; this can be especially hazardous to those that already have preexisting conditions, such as asthma. Other symptoms include but are not limited to: trouble sleeping, anxiety, skin rashes, sore and watery eyes, cancer, organ damage. Routes of exposure are dermal and inhalation. Babies and pets can be especially at risk with their close contact to the floor.

Testing requires sampling surfaces of the property with wipes, and then submitting them for testing with a certified business (us!) to process them for analysis and results. It is important to take care with the wipe sampling by following detailed instructions so that that sample extraction and analysis is not impeded at the laboratory. Analysis is performed by Gas Chromatography with a Mass Spectrometer detector (GS/MS) for low level precision and accuracy.

Once results are obtained, it is important to understand what they mean in the context of state specific regulations. Properties that are found to have actionable level of contamination will need to have them decontaminated by certified professionals. More information about the risks of methamphetamine exposure, decontamination and links to State-specific guidance can be found at the EPA Voluntary Guidelines for Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Laboratory Cleanup.