Stats:

Occupants: Two adults and three children, 12y/o male, 6y/o male and 3y/o male.

Duration of Time in House: 4.5 months.
​
Minimum Contamination level: 3.5 ug/100cm2
Maximum Contamination level: 7.8 ug/100cm2
Average Contamination level: 5.6 ug/100cm2

​Likely Source of Contamination was potential Manufacture and Use

This case related to the rental of an urban house by a family of 2 adults and 3 children for approximately 4.5 months. The family moved from a rural area to a major city due to a change in employment and rented a property. When they moved into the property, they found a syringe. Neighbours indicated that the previous tenant had 2 large guard dogs and there was often unusual activity at night. The children were noticeably unwell and behaved differently within the house. With this information and awareness of the potential for methamphetamine contamination to be of concern, the tenants had their property tested. The testing showed that the property was contaminated and they moved out of the home, leaving their possessions behind. It is not known whether the contamination was the result of manufacture or use. 

Health Effects

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

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
10y/o male	​<5	<5
6y/o male	<5	<5
3y/o male	6	<5

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

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