Effects Of Meth Laboratories
Environmental Effects of Meth Labs
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential risk of, and the environmental effect of methamphetamine (meth or MA) laboratories. Also examined will be the effect these laboratories have on vegetation and wildlife. This paper will discuss some signs that might indicate meth production, as well as associated clean-up costs for areas that have been exposed to methamphetamine production.
Environmental Effects of Methamphetamine Laboratories
Crystal Methamphetamine is a commonly used narcotic in the United States. In 2005, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 10.4 million people over the age of 12 had tried crystal meth (James, …show more content…
2013). Extremely addictive, the illegal drug causes rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure and damage to the small blood vessels in the brain. Over time, users can become violent, paranoid and delusional.
Crystal Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as "meth or MA," comes in the forms of odorless powders or crystals. Not only is the drug detrimental to people 's health, but meth labs are environmental hazards. While the “illicit” production of meth is based with pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, which are found in over-the-counter medications, other ingredients may involve hazardous materials that are toxic, corrosive, flammable, or explosive. Such materials include anhydrous ammonia, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, red phosphorous, lithium metal, sodium metal, iodine, and toluene (US Dept. of Justice, 2003). Upon discovery, the hazardous materials contained at clandestine drug laboratory locations are classified and managed as hazardous wastes.
For every pound of meth produced, five to six pounds of toxic waste are left behind (James, 2013). While the ingredients used to make meth can be toxic by themselves, combining these items increases the levels of toxicity. The waste from the meth-making process is often washed down the sink, put in the trash, poured on the ground or flushed down the toilets, which exposes the surrounding community that uses the water to the hazard. The health effects of the toxic waste vary, depending on which chemicals were used and how long a person has been exposed to them. Cancer, major organ failure, dizziness, nausea and other ailments have been reported after meth lab exposure.
Meth is made in a laboratory-type setting, which involves mixing and heating chemicals. The fumes from the drug are toxic and can affect the people living in the house and surrounding households (Friis, 2007). These compounds, which have adverse health effects as serious as cancer, are released during the meth-making process as gasses. When released, these harmful substances affect the groundwater and air of the surrounding community. Children who are unfortunate enough to live in these environments are particularly affected by the fumes.
Further contributing to the threat of meth manufacturing is the use of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
The use of these compounds and other flammable materials in close proximity to fire, along with improper storage, use, or disposal of such chemicals often leads to clandestine laboratory fires and explosions. When a meth lab explodes, the toxic fumes are released into the environment at an alarming rate. National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System (NCLSS) 2003 data show that there were 529 reported meth laboratory fires or explosions nationwide, a slight decrease from 654 reported fires or explosions in 2002 (NDTA, 2004). It is estimated there are 10, 000 to 13,000 clandestine meth labs operating today. While each is a potential hazard to the environment in its own right, an estimated 10% will result in a fire or …show more content…
explosion.
After meth labs are shut down and removed, the residual effects can still be harmful to the surrounding environment. The toxic ingredients used to make meth leave behind residue that is extremely difficult to clean up. In fact, meth labs can completely contaminate a property (Tucker, 2013). The fumes from the drug can permeate walls, floors and other permanent structures. The glass and equipment made to use meth is also contaminated. Unfortunately, these substances are not typically disposed of properly, and can be present for years.
The Effects Meth Labs Have on Wildlife & Vegetation
Methamphetamine production uses a toxic cocktail of chemicals.
According to the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, a typical meth lab is a collection of chemical bottles, hoses and pressurized cylinders. These labs are considered environmental hazards because of the volatile chemicals and cooking process used to manufacture this highly toxic drug. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimates that more than 68 percent of all meth labs in the United States are located in ordinary homes in rural and residential areas (George, 2013).
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that the toxic chemicals used in illicit methamphetamine laboratories may leech into soil and waterways, causing negative impact to vegetation, wildlife and drinking water. The chemical contamination resulting from meth labs includes highly toxic substances such as battery acid, red phosphorus, iodine, ammonia, starter fluid and drain
cleaner.
In addition to leeching toxic chemicals into the soil and wastewater, meth labs also produce toxic fumes, which are damaging to both plants and animals. According to an article in "Sierra Magazine," a publication of the Sierra Club, U.S. Forest Service officials have found large "tree-kill" sites surrounding meth labs built on national forest land (George, 2013). One official reported instances of these toxic fumes killing Ponderosa pines that were over a hundred years old.
Meth labs and surrounding areas are also susceptible to an increased risk of wildfires resulting from lab explosions or chemical reactions, says the USDA. According to "Sierra Magazine," of the 1,654 labs seized nationwide in 1998, nearly one in five were found because of fire or explosion.
Signs of Meth Lab Activity
There are a myriad of dangers, both social and physical, at a meth lab. Because of the illegal, but usually highly profitable, drug activity, firearms and gang members might be present at the site. Chemical contamination and catastrophic events, such as explosions and fires, also are likely to occur at the lab. There are ways of detecting meth labs both from physical indicators and by observing behaviors of those near the suspected lab.
Meth production involves cooking chemicals and medicines to produce the drug. The byproduct of the cooking process creates foul odors, which often smell like rotten eggs, cat urine, ammonia, ether, paint thinner or other solvents. The home might smell from the outside and the odors inside will be particularly strong in an active lab. Odors will likely linger in former labs as well.
Meth producers use many materials to cook the drugs, and the garbage coming from the suspected house often can indicate a meth lab 's presence. People who suspect a meth lab is nearby should keep an eye out for a large quantity of specific items. These include the equipment needed to cook the meth: flasks, rubber tubing, funnels, clamps, facemasks, rubber or latex gloves and camp stove fuel (Harkin, 2013). Also, look for packaging of ingredients used in meth production: paint thinner, cold or allergy medications, alcohol, acetone, antifreeze, used lithium batteries and rock salt. Evidence of a meth lab also can be deduced from common household items that appear in garbage with signs of unusual use. For example, coffee filters stained red or holding a powdery substance often point to meth lab use, as do soda bottles that have tubing coming from them (Philange, 2013). All of this garbage might be bagged and placed for pickup each week, but items strewn about the property also can point to a meth lab.
Some cookers also modify the home 's ventilation because of the odors created. If there are an unusually high number of fans or blowers in windows, or if the windows are open regularly even in cold weather, this can indicate a meth lab 's presence.
The byproducts of meth are deadly, and the chemicals that go into making it are caustic. Some cookers will dispose of the byproducts in the yard, and this kills off all vegetation in the area and creates black patches in the yard (Philange, 2013).
The physical symptoms of having a meth lab close by are well documented. Not only is the risk of dying from an explosion or fire more prevalent with so many caustic chemicals in close proximity, regularly inhaling the range of chemicals needed to make meth can produce symptoms like migraines, kidney problems, burning eyes, a ticklish throat, respiratory ailments and even cancer, after prolonged exposure (Harkins, 2013). A New York Times article in 2009 points the finger at a home 's former meth producers as the reason why the current inhabitants were getting sick.
Cleaning Former Meth Lab Property The incidence of clandestine drug laboratories has grown dramatically in the past 10 years. For example, in Fiscal Year 1992, the DEA 's National Clandestine Laboratory Cleanup Program funded approximately 400 removal actions, and by fiscal year 2001, the DEA Program funded funded more than 6,400 removal actions (US Dept. of Justice, 2003).
Health experts know very little about the long-term effects of exposure to contaminants left at a former meth lab. The chemicals used can leave a residue in the wallboards, floors, draperies and furniture. The actual drug itself may remain on the surfaces and may be absorbed through the skin.
In some States, such as North Carolina, the abuse and distribution of methamphetamines is a serious problem. Because of the drug 's increased popularity, "meth lab" cleanup costs have significantly increased statewide. According to both the state Governor 's Crime Commission and the National Drug Information Center, each meth lab cleanup in the state costs at least $10,000, which directly affects the availability of other essential public services (Mojica, 2013). The equipment is so high-tech, and the training so thorough, that local law enforcement authorities are usually unable to clean up meth labs. For public safety, only highly trained personnel are authorized to clean up such environmental hazards.
Toxic chemicals used to produce methamphetamine often are discarded in rivers, fields, and forests, causing environmental damage, resulting in high cleanup costs. U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s annual cost for cleanup of clandestine laboratories (almost entirely meth labs) within the United States has increased steadily from FY1995 ($2 million), to FY1999 ($12.2 million), to FY 2002 ($23.8 million) (NDTA, 2004). Moreover, the Los Angeles County Regional Criminal Information Clearinghouse, a component of the Los Angeles HIDTA, reports that in 2002 methamphetamine laboratory cleanup costs in the combined Central Valley and Los Angeles HIDTA areas alone reached $3,909,809. Statewide, California spent $4,974,517 to remediate methamphetamine laboratories and dumpsites in 2002 (NTDA, 2004). The number of meth lab incidents and arrests made in 2010, as reported by the Drug Enforcement Agency, was 10,247 -- down from 18,091 in 2004. To prevent any public health concerns at an apartment that has previously been used as a meth lab, dwelling testing by an industrial cleanup company should be performed to ensure no harmful chemicals are left behind to make new residents sick.
Methamphetamine abuse is increasing in epidemic proportions, both nationally and globally. Availability of meth has markedly increased in the United States due to recent technological improvements in both mass production and clandestine synthesis, leading to significant public health, legal, and environmental problems. The use of phosphorous-based solvents has led to the pollution of water supplies, agricultural land, and even housing. The environmental impact of meth costs most states several million dollars annually for resource allocation and cleans up. Children found at in-home meth labs during drug seizures in California, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington were found to have toxic levels of precursors and byproducts in their bloodstreams, necessitating treatment or hospitalization. The number of pediatric deaths and ER visits for significant burns suffered in in-home meth labs has increased (Merideth, 2005), as has the number of pediatric visits for inadvertent MA poisoning. The use of lead acetate as an occasional reagent in meth synthesis has led to an increase in lead poisoning. Methamphetamine manufacturing is an environmental hazard that needs to be addressed and corrected…NOW.
References
1. Friis, R.H. (2007). Essentials of Environmental Health (First ed., pp. 52-59). Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett.
2. James, Elizabeth (2013). Environmental Effects of Meth Labs | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8238877_environmental-effects-meth-labs.html
3. George, Shannon (2013). The Effects Meth Labs Have on Wildlife & Vegetation | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/facts 6889880 effects-meth-labs-wildlife- vegetation.html
4. Harkins, Dan (2013). Physical Symptoms of a Meth Lab in Your Apartment Building | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info 8566064 physical-meth-lab- apartment-building.html 5. Philange, Tallulah (2013). What Are Signs of a Meth Lab | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8167979_signs-meth-lab.html#ixzz2PhhdNM6F
6. Tucker, Wesley (2013). Risks of Buying Seized Methamphetamine Houses | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com 6814022 risks-buying-seized-meth-houses.html 7. Mojica, Stephanie (2013). North Carolina State Regulations for Meth Cleanup | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com 6833842 north-state-regulations-meth-cleanup.html
8. Merideth, C.W., Jaffe, C. Ang-Lee, K., Saxon, A.J. (2005). Implications of chronic methamphetamine use: A literature review. Harvard Review Psychiatry. (May/June, pp. 141-148)
9. Methamphetamine Initiative: Final Environmental Assessment, US Dept. of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, May 13, 2003, p. 4. Retrieved from: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/ric/Pulications/e05031969.pdf
10. National Drug Threat Assessment 2004 (Johnstown, PA: National Drug Intelligence Center, April 2004), pp. 17-18. Retrieved from: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=31346
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential risk of, and the environmental effect of methamphetamine (meth or MA) laboratories. Also examined will be the effect these laboratories have on vegetation and wildlife. This paper will discuss some signs that might indicate meth production, as well as associated clean-up costs for areas that have been exposed to methamphetamine production.
Environmental Effects of Methamphetamine Laboratories
Crystal Methamphetamine is a commonly used narcotic in the United States. In 2005, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that 10.4 million people over the age of 12 had tried crystal meth (James, …show more content…
2013). Extremely addictive, the illegal drug causes rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure and damage to the small blood vessels in the brain. Over time, users can become violent, paranoid and delusional.
Crystal Methamphetamine, commonly referred to as "meth or MA," comes in the forms of odorless powders or crystals. Not only is the drug detrimental to people 's health, but meth labs are environmental hazards. While the “illicit” production of meth is based with pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, which are found in over-the-counter medications, other ingredients may involve hazardous materials that are toxic, corrosive, flammable, or explosive. Such materials include anhydrous ammonia, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, red phosphorous, lithium metal, sodium metal, iodine, and toluene (US Dept. of Justice, 2003). Upon discovery, the hazardous materials contained at clandestine drug laboratory locations are classified and managed as hazardous wastes.
For every pound of meth produced, five to six pounds of toxic waste are left behind (James, 2013). While the ingredients used to make meth can be toxic by themselves, combining these items increases the levels of toxicity. The waste from the meth-making process is often washed down the sink, put in the trash, poured on the ground or flushed down the toilets, which exposes the surrounding community that uses the water to the hazard. The health effects of the toxic waste vary, depending on which chemicals were used and how long a person has been exposed to them. Cancer, major organ failure, dizziness, nausea and other ailments have been reported after meth lab exposure.
Meth is made in a laboratory-type setting, which involves mixing and heating chemicals. The fumes from the drug are toxic and can affect the people living in the house and surrounding households (Friis, 2007). These compounds, which have adverse health effects as serious as cancer, are released during the meth-making process as gasses. When released, these harmful substances affect the groundwater and air of the surrounding community. Children who are unfortunate enough to live in these environments are particularly affected by the fumes.
Further contributing to the threat of meth manufacturing is the use of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.
The use of these compounds and other flammable materials in close proximity to fire, along with improper storage, use, or disposal of such chemicals often leads to clandestine laboratory fires and explosions. When a meth lab explodes, the toxic fumes are released into the environment at an alarming rate. National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System (NCLSS) 2003 data show that there were 529 reported meth laboratory fires or explosions nationwide, a slight decrease from 654 reported fires or explosions in 2002 (NDTA, 2004). It is estimated there are 10, 000 to 13,000 clandestine meth labs operating today. While each is a potential hazard to the environment in its own right, an estimated 10% will result in a fire or …show more content…
explosion.
After meth labs are shut down and removed, the residual effects can still be harmful to the surrounding environment. The toxic ingredients used to make meth leave behind residue that is extremely difficult to clean up. In fact, meth labs can completely contaminate a property (Tucker, 2013). The fumes from the drug can permeate walls, floors and other permanent structures. The glass and equipment made to use meth is also contaminated. Unfortunately, these substances are not typically disposed of properly, and can be present for years.
The Effects Meth Labs Have on Wildlife & Vegetation
Methamphetamine production uses a toxic cocktail of chemicals.
According to the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control Methamphetamine, a typical meth lab is a collection of chemical bottles, hoses and pressurized cylinders. These labs are considered environmental hazards because of the volatile chemicals and cooking process used to manufacture this highly toxic drug. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) estimates that more than 68 percent of all meth labs in the United States are located in ordinary homes in rural and residential areas (George, 2013).
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) says that the toxic chemicals used in illicit methamphetamine laboratories may leech into soil and waterways, causing negative impact to vegetation, wildlife and drinking water. The chemical contamination resulting from meth labs includes highly toxic substances such as battery acid, red phosphorus, iodine, ammonia, starter fluid and drain
cleaner.
In addition to leeching toxic chemicals into the soil and wastewater, meth labs also produce toxic fumes, which are damaging to both plants and animals. According to an article in "Sierra Magazine," a publication of the Sierra Club, U.S. Forest Service officials have found large "tree-kill" sites surrounding meth labs built on national forest land (George, 2013). One official reported instances of these toxic fumes killing Ponderosa pines that were over a hundred years old.
Meth labs and surrounding areas are also susceptible to an increased risk of wildfires resulting from lab explosions or chemical reactions, says the USDA. According to "Sierra Magazine," of the 1,654 labs seized nationwide in 1998, nearly one in five were found because of fire or explosion.
Signs of Meth Lab Activity
There are a myriad of dangers, both social and physical, at a meth lab. Because of the illegal, but usually highly profitable, drug activity, firearms and gang members might be present at the site. Chemical contamination and catastrophic events, such as explosions and fires, also are likely to occur at the lab. There are ways of detecting meth labs both from physical indicators and by observing behaviors of those near the suspected lab.
Meth production involves cooking chemicals and medicines to produce the drug. The byproduct of the cooking process creates foul odors, which often smell like rotten eggs, cat urine, ammonia, ether, paint thinner or other solvents. The home might smell from the outside and the odors inside will be particularly strong in an active lab. Odors will likely linger in former labs as well.
Meth producers use many materials to cook the drugs, and the garbage coming from the suspected house often can indicate a meth lab 's presence. People who suspect a meth lab is nearby should keep an eye out for a large quantity of specific items. These include the equipment needed to cook the meth: flasks, rubber tubing, funnels, clamps, facemasks, rubber or latex gloves and camp stove fuel (Harkin, 2013). Also, look for packaging of ingredients used in meth production: paint thinner, cold or allergy medications, alcohol, acetone, antifreeze, used lithium batteries and rock salt. Evidence of a meth lab also can be deduced from common household items that appear in garbage with signs of unusual use. For example, coffee filters stained red or holding a powdery substance often point to meth lab use, as do soda bottles that have tubing coming from them (Philange, 2013). All of this garbage might be bagged and placed for pickup each week, but items strewn about the property also can point to a meth lab.
Some cookers also modify the home 's ventilation because of the odors created. If there are an unusually high number of fans or blowers in windows, or if the windows are open regularly even in cold weather, this can indicate a meth lab 's presence.
The byproducts of meth are deadly, and the chemicals that go into making it are caustic. Some cookers will dispose of the byproducts in the yard, and this kills off all vegetation in the area and creates black patches in the yard (Philange, 2013).
The physical symptoms of having a meth lab close by are well documented. Not only is the risk of dying from an explosion or fire more prevalent with so many caustic chemicals in close proximity, regularly inhaling the range of chemicals needed to make meth can produce symptoms like migraines, kidney problems, burning eyes, a ticklish throat, respiratory ailments and even cancer, after prolonged exposure (Harkins, 2013). A New York Times article in 2009 points the finger at a home 's former meth producers as the reason why the current inhabitants were getting sick.
Cleaning Former Meth Lab Property The incidence of clandestine drug laboratories has grown dramatically in the past 10 years. For example, in Fiscal Year 1992, the DEA 's National Clandestine Laboratory Cleanup Program funded approximately 400 removal actions, and by fiscal year 2001, the DEA Program funded funded more than 6,400 removal actions (US Dept. of Justice, 2003).
Health experts know very little about the long-term effects of exposure to contaminants left at a former meth lab. The chemicals used can leave a residue in the wallboards, floors, draperies and furniture. The actual drug itself may remain on the surfaces and may be absorbed through the skin.
In some States, such as North Carolina, the abuse and distribution of methamphetamines is a serious problem. Because of the drug 's increased popularity, "meth lab" cleanup costs have significantly increased statewide. According to both the state Governor 's Crime Commission and the National Drug Information Center, each meth lab cleanup in the state costs at least $10,000, which directly affects the availability of other essential public services (Mojica, 2013). The equipment is so high-tech, and the training so thorough, that local law enforcement authorities are usually unable to clean up meth labs. For public safety, only highly trained personnel are authorized to clean up such environmental hazards.
Toxic chemicals used to produce methamphetamine often are discarded in rivers, fields, and forests, causing environmental damage, resulting in high cleanup costs. U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s annual cost for cleanup of clandestine laboratories (almost entirely meth labs) within the United States has increased steadily from FY1995 ($2 million), to FY1999 ($12.2 million), to FY 2002 ($23.8 million) (NDTA, 2004). Moreover, the Los Angeles County Regional Criminal Information Clearinghouse, a component of the Los Angeles HIDTA, reports that in 2002 methamphetamine laboratory cleanup costs in the combined Central Valley and Los Angeles HIDTA areas alone reached $3,909,809. Statewide, California spent $4,974,517 to remediate methamphetamine laboratories and dumpsites in 2002 (NTDA, 2004). The number of meth lab incidents and arrests made in 2010, as reported by the Drug Enforcement Agency, was 10,247 -- down from 18,091 in 2004. To prevent any public health concerns at an apartment that has previously been used as a meth lab, dwelling testing by an industrial cleanup company should be performed to ensure no harmful chemicals are left behind to make new residents sick.
Methamphetamine abuse is increasing in epidemic proportions, both nationally and globally. Availability of meth has markedly increased in the United States due to recent technological improvements in both mass production and clandestine synthesis, leading to significant public health, legal, and environmental problems. The use of phosphorous-based solvents has led to the pollution of water supplies, agricultural land, and even housing. The environmental impact of meth costs most states several million dollars annually for resource allocation and cleans up. Children found at in-home meth labs during drug seizures in California, Missouri, Oregon, and Washington were found to have toxic levels of precursors and byproducts in their bloodstreams, necessitating treatment or hospitalization. The number of pediatric deaths and ER visits for significant burns suffered in in-home meth labs has increased (Merideth, 2005), as has the number of pediatric visits for inadvertent MA poisoning. The use of lead acetate as an occasional reagent in meth synthesis has led to an increase in lead poisoning. Methamphetamine manufacturing is an environmental hazard that needs to be addressed and corrected…NOW.
References
1. Friis, R.H. (2007). Essentials of Environmental Health (First ed., pp. 52-59). Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett.
2. James, Elizabeth (2013). Environmental Effects of Meth Labs | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8238877_environmental-effects-meth-labs.html
3. George, Shannon (2013). The Effects Meth Labs Have on Wildlife & Vegetation | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/facts 6889880 effects-meth-labs-wildlife- vegetation.html
4. Harkins, Dan (2013). Physical Symptoms of a Meth Lab in Your Apartment Building | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info 8566064 physical-meth-lab- apartment-building.html 5. Philange, Tallulah (2013). What Are Signs of a Meth Lab | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8167979_signs-meth-lab.html#ixzz2PhhdNM6F
6. Tucker, Wesley (2013). Risks of Buying Seized Methamphetamine Houses | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com 6814022 risks-buying-seized-meth-houses.html 7. Mojica, Stephanie (2013). North Carolina State Regulations for Meth Cleanup | eHow.com. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com 6833842 north-state-regulations-meth-cleanup.html
8. Merideth, C.W., Jaffe, C. Ang-Lee, K., Saxon, A.J. (2005). Implications of chronic methamphetamine use: A literature review. Harvard Review Psychiatry. (May/June, pp. 141-148)
9. Methamphetamine Initiative: Final Environmental Assessment, US Dept. of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, May 13, 2003, p. 4. Retrieved from: http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/ric/Pulications/e05031969.pdf
10. National Drug Threat Assessment 2004 (Johnstown, PA: National Drug Intelligence Center, April 2004), pp. 17-18. Retrieved from: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=31346