Abstract
Current practice for determining the exposure to methamphetamine in contaminated homes relies on the analysis of surface wipe sample to address direct contact exposures. The movement of methamphetamine into the air phase, and the potential for inhalation exposures to occur within residential homes contaminated from former clandestine manufacture or smoking of methamphetamine has been generally poorly characterised and understood. All available risk-based guidelines for determining safe levels of methamphetamine in residential properties do not include any consideration of the inhalation pathway as an exposure route. This study showed that methamphetamine can readily move from contaminated materials in a home into the air phase. This movement of methamphetamine into the air phase provides both an exposure pathway and a mechanism for the transfer of methamphetamine throughout a property. The inhalation exposure pathway has the potential to result in significant intake of methamphetamine, adding to dermal absorption and ingestion exposure routes. Guidelines that are established for the assessment of methamphetamine contaminated properties that ignore inhalation exposures can significantly underestimate exposure and result in guidelines that are not adequately protective of health. This study also demonstrates that sampling methamphetamine in air can be undertaken using commercially available sorption tubes and analytical methods.
Highlights
The clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine, as well as the smoking of crystal methamphetamine, results in the contamination of properties [1, 2]
Of particular concern is the presence of methamphetamine residues within the property, which can remain for a long period of time if the property is not remediated
A number of countries and jurisdictions have developed health-risk-based guidelines for the assessment and remediation of methamphetamine residues in properties [4,5,6,7,8]. These guidelines are based on the protection of public health, with one guideline value adopted for determining whether a property is considered to be contaminated as well as being the target level for ‘successful’ remediation. These guidelines are based on the underlying assumption that methamphetamine residues remain as residues on surfaces, where exposure occurs via dermal contact and ingestion of residues from hands or objects
Summary
The clandestine manufacture of methamphetamine, as well as the smoking of crystal methamphetamine (commonly referred to as “ice”), results in the contamination of properties [1, 2]. Sampling conducted during these controlled manufacture and smoke events involved pumping air through acid-treated glass fibre filters and analysis of the filters using an appropriate method by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC or GC-MS) or liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC or LC-MS) This methodology characterised the presence of methamphetamine aerosols present in air, not necessarily methamphetamine in the vapour (gaseous) phase. This method involved the sampling of methamphetamine vapours using a laboratory based method with a SPME field sampler and analysis by GC-MS [20] This methodology has been further refined [21, 22] adapting a method using a capillary microextraction (CME) device with larger surface area [23] to enable a lower level of detection to be achieved. This study has been undertaken to further evaluate commercially available methods for the sampling and analysis of methamphetamine in air, and to evaluate the potential for the inhalation pathway to be of significance in properties known to be contaminated from manufacture and/or use
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
