Stats:

Occupants: Adult 47y/o female.

Duration of Time in House: 8 months.
​
Minimum Contamination level: 4.1μg/100cm² 
Maximum Contamination level: 107μg/100cm² 
Average Contamination level: 49μg/100cm² 

​Likely Source of Contamination was suspected Manufacture

This case study involved the rental of an urban unit by a single female adult with previously diagnosed multiple chemical sensitivity. She was previously living in a property that was contaminated with mould that made her unwell. She had to move out of that property and leave most of her possessions behind due to the effect it was having on her health. She moved into a different unit that was clean as a short-term rental in order to help her recover from the effects of living in the mould-affected home. A more permanent rental unit became available in the same building and she was told it was the same as the unit she was in and was also clean. She moved out of the short-stay and into the rental property. When she moved into the property, she became unwell again. She experienced a wide range of significant health problems in the unit. She became suspicious of drug activities in the building and in her unit based on the dirt and dust, noting strange smells and items found in the unit (e.g., a bag of pseudoephedrine under tiles on deck). She suspected another unit close to hers was being used for manufacture. As her health declined, her partner had to leave his job to become a fulltime carer. She contacted police with her suspicions of manufacture. She had the property tested for methamphetamine contamination and elevated levels were found. She moved out, leaving her possessions behind. Initially she had to live in her car as she had no money for alternate accommodation. Her health improved over time, taking around 6 months for most of the effects to be resolved. ​

Health Effects

23 of the 63 participants of this study reported health effects as indicated by levels of contamination reported in the purple section of the below chart. This means that the adult 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 in this case, the females health declined so significantly that her partner had to leave his job to become a fulltime carer. Once contamiantion was discovered, she moved out, leaving her possessions behind and her health improved over time, taking around 6 months for most of the effects to be resolved. ​

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
47y/o male	>2500	590

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

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