Methamphetamine testing and assessments play a major role in keeping Kiwis safe. It’s often difficult to tell if a home has been contaminated with methamphetamine, but if left untreated, this can create some fairly serious health issues for anyone living on the property.

Luckily, there are ways to safely deal with meth contamination in homes. If you are concerned about a property you’re purchasing or a property that you might already be in having signs of meth contamination, that can be incredibly stressful. In this blog post, we have broken down the fundamental steps you should take to be sure your home is clean and safe to live in, rent, or sell.

How Does Methamphetamine Contaminate a House?

Methamphetamine is a kind of drug that is produced by ‘cooking’ base ingredients and is consumed by smoking. Both of these processes can create dangerous vaporous by-products that settle into surfaces like walls, floors, ceilings, furniture, and carpets.

The contamination, unfortunately, does not stop there, often spreading throughout a home to find hidden spaces like air ducts or even the insulation. Since meth is so inherently toxic, the by-products or original ingredients used to produce meth are doubly so. Once they’ve seeped into porous materials such as fabrics, woods, and walls, it’s incredibly difficult to remove these traces without professional intervention.

Properties where meth was cooked and not just smoked have a significantly higher risk of long-term contamination, which is where methamphetamine testing and assessments come in. But first…

What Are the Dangers of Meth Contamination?

Unfortunately, there are long-term health effects associated with meth contamination that could present a major risk to residents of contaminated buildings, especially children, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.

The effects of exposure can range from mild symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, and skin irritation, to more severe conditions, like respiratory problems, behavioural changes, and long-term organ damage. Prolonged exposure may also increase the risk of cancer or neurological issues.

Even if the contamination is not visible or immediately noticeable, living in a meth-contaminated environment can cause chronic health problems that can follow residents well beyond their stay in a particular property. This is why it’s vital to address suspected contamination as quickly as possible. That’s where the appropriate tests come in.

The Role of Methamphetamine Testing and Assessments

Methamphetamine testing and assessments play a major role in keeping homeowners or tenants safe from harm. Contamination can often go unnoticed, so a comprehensive test can help uncover any deposits of toxic residue for subsequent disposal.

If the home is confirmed to have been a contaminated site, methamphetamine testing and assessments can help to determine the levels of contamination in various parts of the property. These tests measure residue on surfaces using swabs or bulk samples, determining whether the property exceeds safe contamination thresholds. In other words, if it’s safe to live in or not.

If high levels of contamination are found, the next step is to get in touch with a removalist who specialises in methamphetamine contamination.

Hiring a Decontamination Specialist

Methamphetamine contamination is characterised by unsafe byproducts sinking into porous surfaces. In other words, it can’t be removed with even the most aggressive household cleaning methods. Even if this is attempted, disturbing the material can release these toxic byproducts into the air and expose you to dangerous levels of methamphetamine.

A professional cleaner who specialises in meth contamination will thoroughly clean all possible surfaces while removing and disposing of materials that are too heavily contaminated to remain in the home. This will also include treatment of any affected air ducts or insulation, as air can carry this contamination into a clean home and counteract all the hard work done to remove dangerous chemicals.

The main reason to hire a decontamination specialist is because they’re aware of the strict guidelines and safety protocols related to removal. They can bring the appropriate personal protective equipment and keep themselves safe in the process of removing contaminated materials, all while ensuring that your home is safe to return to once they’re done.

Post-Decontamination Testing

The story doesn’t end there. Once the removal specialists have done their work, there’s one final step to ensure a property is safe to move back into: more methamphetamine testing and assessments.

Once decontamination is done, post-testing will confirm that the property is safe to return to. Certified testers will conduct more tests on the areas that were confirmed to have been previously contaminated, as well as the surrounding areas, to make sure that contamination did not spread in the course of the cleaning.

Only once clear and clean tests are attained for the home will you be able to move back in, and that will let you know the home is completely safe to live in! Not only does this make sure it’s safe for you to move back in, but this final round of tests also provides the ultimate peace of mind. Without these methamphetamine testing and assessments, there is no way to 100% guarantee that all meth residue was eliminated.

Concerned about meth contamination in your home? Talk to Consultex Environmental.

If you’re concerned about meth contamination in your home and are ready to source methamphetamine testing and assessments, talk to the qualified team at Consultex Environmental today.