Stats:

Occupants: Child 2y/o male.

Duration of Time in House: 10 days per fortnight over 2 years shared custody
​
Minimum Contamination level: No Testing Conducted - Mother admitted Use
Maximum Contamination level: No Testing Conducted - Mother admitted Use
Average Contamination level: No Testing Conducted - Mother admitted Use

​Likely Source of Contamination was suspected Use

This case study involved exposure of a young child to residues in the mother’s home in an urban area during visitation over a period of just over 2 years. The mother and father were separated and the child was spending equal time between the mother and father. The mother was known to be using methamphetamine in the home when the child was not present. The father was on a methadone program. The father was concerned about the child being exposed to methamphetamine in the home whenever he was residing with the mother. He noticed that the health and behaviour of the child was different or poor whenever the child had spent time at the mother’s property. Testing of the child’s hair identified trace levels or methamphetamine. The presence of methamphetamine in the child’s hair was of concern to the mother and father, and resulted in the mother ceasing methamphetamine use and moving out of the contaminated property. The child’s health has improved significantly. 

Health Effects

22 of the 63 participants of this study reported health effects as indicated by levels of contamination reported in the green section of the below chart. This means that the child residing in this contaminated property may have suffered: Behavioural Issues, Heachaches, Sleep Disruption, Immune related disorder, Respiratory Issues, Eye issues and Skin irritation.  

Note that the child's health has improved significantly since leaving the property and environment that was contaminated.

The study states; "In terms of health effects reported by participants exposed in contaminated properties, these were consistently reported regardless of the source of the methamphetamine contamination. The only key difference in the health effects reported was a higher prevalence of eye and respiratory issues in properties known or suspected to have been contaminated from manufacture."

Hair Analysis Results:

The below table shows the results by person of the amount of methamphetamines and amphetamines located in hair analysis. These levels are from environmental contamination exposure only and not from direct methamphetamine use (Drug Use) or methamphetamine manufacture.

The study states "The analysis of hair samples collected from participants recently exposed in contaminated properties found methamphetamine above the quantitation limit (5 pg/mg) in 20 of the 36 participants sampled."

"For adults, methamphetamine was detected in hair in case studies where the mean environmental methamphetamine concentration was in the range 7.8 to 49 μg/100 cm2, which predominantly involved properties where clandestine drug manufacture was known or suspected to have occurred."

"The hair analysis data showed higher levels of exposure occurring in younger children, which is consistent with the expectation that younger children will have higher levels of exposures due to more common floor play, poorer washing of hands, and mouthing of hands and objects. In addition, young children have more porous hair than adults, which would make the hair more susceptible to environmental contamination."

"In relation to children, methamphetamine was detected in hair for case studies where the mean environmental methamphetamine concentration was in the range of 2.8 to 30.7 μg/100 cm2. The concentration of methamphetamine detected in the hair of children ranged from 6 to 980 pg/mg. This included properties contaminated as a result of both use and manufacture."

"The detection of methamphetamine, and in some cases amphetamine, in the analysis of hair samples from exposed participants...indicates that for some situations environmental exposure was sufficient to be able to be detected in the hair. This is not the case for all situations, as there were a number of participants for whom analysis of a hair sample could not detect methamphetamine." 

Person	Methamphetamine	Amphetamine
2y/o male	7	<5

Click this link to read the Research:  Environmental Methamphetamine Exposures and Health Effects in 25 Case Studies.

Annual Testing
Along with Pre and Post Tenancy

The best way to protect your property is by doing regular meth checks!

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