# Presentation: 240482

## Chemical Exposures Associated with Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratories

**Chemical Exposures Associated with Clandestine Methamphetamine Laboratories**

**National Jewish Medical **
**and Research Center**
- Shawn Arbuckle

## Multi-Agency Cooperation

- North Metro Drug Task Force
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- Tri-County Health Department
- High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area
- U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency
- National Jewish Medical and Research Center

## Methamphetamine Myths

- The chemicals used are just household chemicals and will not hurt anyone.
- If it doesn’t hurt the cooks, it can’t hurt anyone else.
- As long as you don’t smell a chemical odor, everything will be OK.
- Exposures only last for a short time and therefore will not hurt anyone.
- Exposures are usually below current standards and do not present a hazard for anyone.

## Meth Lab Responses: Inactive

- Responded to suspected clandestine laboratories
- Hotel Rooms
- Homes
- Apartments
- Vehicles
- Mobile Homes

## Definitions

- Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)
- 8 hour time-weighted average (TWA)
- Occupational exposures only
- Ceiling Value
- A concentration that should not be exceeded during any part
-    of the working exposure
- Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL)
- Not to be exceeded for a 15 minute TWA
- Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH)
- Irreversible health effects or death after 30 minutes of exposure

## Other Definitions

- PPM – common measurement of airborne compounds
- 1 minute in 2 years
- 1 inch in 16 miles
- 1 drop in 185 cans of beer
- g – common measurement of mass
- 1/1000th of a milligram

## Phosphine

- Invisible with slight fish or garlic odor
- Symptoms
- Severe pulmonary irritant
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest tightness, cough, headache, may be caused by exposures as low as 10 ppm
- Pulmonary edema has caused death
- Implicated in deaths at Meth Labs
- Current Exposure Standards
- PEL = 0.3 ppm
- STEL = 1 ppm
- IDLH = 50 ppm

## Phosphine Exposure Levels

- Red P and Hypophosphorous cooks:
- ND to 3.5 ppm (10 x the PEL of 0.3 ppm)
- In the area of the cook in a home it averaged 0.94 ppm
- The cook temperature and water content may have a significant effect on the amounts of phosphine generated
- Phosphine may be present in “death bag” at high concentrations

## Iodine

- Sharp, metallic smell
- Iodine – Airborne
- Irritant of the eyes, mucous membranes, and skin
- May cause chest tightness and difficulty breathing
- Levels of 1.63 ppm will cause eye irritation in all exposed within 5 minutes
- Skin rash due to hypersensitivity can occur
- Current Exposure Standards
- PEL = 0.1 ppm Ceiling
- IDLH = 2 ppm

## Iodine Exposure Levels

- Measured Exposure Range
- 0.23 ppm – 3.7 ppm (almost 2x the IDLH)
- Levels measured in the house cook
- Cook area = 0.16 ppm
- Down the hall = 0.04 ppm
- Levels measured in the hotel cook
- 0.001 ppm – 0.05 ppm

## Anhydrous Ammonia

- Symptoms
- Severe irritant of the eyes, respiratory tract, and skin
- After 70 ppm, most individuals will report irritation
- Levels over 2500 may cause corneal irritation, bronchospasm, chest pain, and pulmonary edema.  Bronchitis and pneumonia may also occur
- Tolerance may be acquired
- Current Exposure Standards
- PEL = 25 ppm
- STEL = 35 ppm
- IDLH = 300 ppm

## Cook Results: Anhydrous

-   Across room:  130 ppm

- Well Ventilated

- Non-Vented

-   PEL = 25 ppm
-   IDLH = 300 ppm

- Real time instruments:  Overloaded    Highest measurement: >3,000 ppm

-   Cook area:  190 ppm
-   Across room:  <66 ppm

## Hydrochloric Acid

- Colorless gas with pungent odor
- Symptoms – Airborne
- Upper respiratory tract irritation – cough, burning throat, choking, burning eyes, chest pain
- Acute symptoms may occur as low as 5 ppm
- Skin contact may cause burns and ulceration
- Current Exposure Levels
- Ceiling = 2 ppm
- IDLH = 50 ppm

## Hydrogen Chloride Exposure Levels

- Average exposures during entire cook period:
- 0.3 – 2.3 ppm (slightly above the 2 ppm Ceiling)
- Average exposure during salting out:
- 3.8 – 7.2 ppm ( > 3 x the Ceiling)
- Peak concentrations during salting out:
- 60 ppm – 155 ppm ( > 3 x the IDLH)

## Methamphetamine

- Symptoms
- Very little known regarding low level chronic exposures
- Irritation of the skin, eyes, mucous membranes, and upper respiratory tract
- High levels may cause dizziness, headache, metallic taste, insomnia, high or low blood pressure, etc.
- Chronic exposures may cause irritability, personality changes, anxiety, hallucinations, psychotic behavior
- Smaller infants, altered behavior patterns, lower IQ scores, teratogenic affects, cerebral hemorrhage
- Current Standards
- Surface contamination: 0.1 – 0.5 g/100 cm2
- No Effect Level Unknown
- Therapeutic dose = 5 mg (2 - 3 x per day)

## Methamphetamine on Surfaces

- Ranged from non-detect to 16,000 g/100 cm2
- Average: 499 g/100 cm2
- Levels inside microwaves were high
- Levels on air returns were elevated suggesting airborne quantities
- Levels on flat surfaces in the lab area were very high
- Levels exceeding the standard were found in every verified lab

## Methamphetamine on Surfaces  After One Cook

- Vertical Surfaces
- 36 inches from Cook: 130 g/100 cm2
- 88 inches from Cook: 120 g/100 cm2
- 146 inches from Cook: 30 g/100 cm2
- 200 inches from Cook: 11.6 g/100 cm2
- Hallway 216 inches from Cook: g/100 cm2
- Clothing Contamination
- 1 g/sample to 580 g/sample
- Highest during salting out
- Higher in Red P Methodology

## Airborne Methamphetamine Using Red P Method

- 4200 g/m3 – 5500 g/m3

## Exposure Conclusions

- Exposures to iodine, phosphine, anhydrous ammonia, and hydrochloric acid may exceed occupational standards
- Hydrochloric acid, Iodine, and anhydrous ammonia may exceed IDLH Levels
- Significant amounts of airborne methamphetamine are released during the cook and deposited on both horizontal and vertical surfaces

## Conclusions (cont)

- Entering the cook area will contaminate clothing with methamphetamine and other chemicals
- The entire area of the home is contaminated by the generated compounds

## What About After the Cook?

## Meth in Carpet Dust
59 g/m2 – 270 g/m2
Airborne Methamphetamine
During the Cook: 520 – 780 g/m3
Walking Around: 70 – 117 g/m3
Mild Activity: 106 – 170 g/m3
Heavy Activity: 100 – 210 g/m3
Majority of airborne meth is less than 1 m diameter
Easily inhaled
Travels to deepest part of lungs and directly into the blood

- 59 g/m2 – 270 g/m2
- Airborne Methamphetamine
- During the Cook: 520 – 780 g/m3
- Walking Around: 70 – 117 g/m3
- Mild Activity: 106 – 170 g/m3
- Heavy Activity: 100 – 210 g/m3
- Majority of airborne meth is less than 1 m diameter
- Easily inhaled
- Travels to deepest part of lungs and directly into the blood

- Exposures 24 Hours After Cook

## Entry Only Contamination: 24 hours After Cook

- All individuals that entered the home came out with measurable contamination
- Foot Contamination
- 0.78 – 49 g/wipe
- Hand Contamination
- 29 - 56 g/wipe
- Neck
- All positive but most below 1.0 g

## Lab Bust Contamination

- Suspects
- 0.9 g/wipe to 17.4 g/wipe
- Children
- 0.2 g/wipe to 1.18 g/wipe
- Pets
- 1.89 g/wipe (fur)
- Law Enforcement Officers
- 0.5 – 0.93 g/wipe

## Meth “Smoking” Experiment

## Detectable levels of meth are found when smoking as little as 0.1g

## What Does This Mean?

- Anyone entering or taken from the lab area will be contaminated with low levels of methamphetamine
- In some cases, these levels may not be high
- The potential for high contamination levels does exist
- Accidents, fires, entry during the cook, etc.
- Contamination may involve more than meth
- There is no adequate method for direct detection at this time

## Symptoms Among Responders

## At Risk Personnel

- Local, State and Federal Law Enforcement
- Clan lab investigator
- Narcotics agents
- Chemists
- Hazmat removal
- First Responder
- Street Officers
- Firefighters
- Paramedics
- Social Services
- Waste Removal

## Exposure to Chemicals

- >90 % reported exposures:
- Direct skin contact with chemicals
- Inhaled fumes and gases
- Smelled odors from the laboratory
- Handled contaminated clothing or other items
- >90% reported requiring decontamination at the lab scene at some time

**Notes:**
We can conclude that almost all investigators have had some form of exposure during meth lab investigation

## Active Lab Investigations and Respirator Use

**Notes:**
Note that a large number of people report that they do not always have respiratory protection during lab investigation.

## Health Effects

## What About Children?

##        Teddy Bear:
- Sweater:                     3,100 g/100 cm2

- Layer under sweater: 
        2,100 g/100 cm2

	  - pH:  <1

- - Sweater:                     3,100 g/100 cm2
- - Layer under sweater:
-         2,100 g/100 cm2
- 	  - pH:  <1

- Methamphetamine Exposures (Hotel Cook)

## Dose Estimates vs. Exposure

| 
Basis for Dose | Calc. Dose (mg/kg-day) |
| --- | --- |
| RfD – Prenatal Development | 0.005 |
| RfD – Neurotoxicity Endpoints | 0.007 |
| 5 mg oral dose to 70 kg Adult | 0.07 |
| Illicit usage - 150 mg for Adult | 2.14 |
| Infant exposed to 499 ug/100 cm2 | 0.41 |
| Infant exposed to 0.1  g/100 cm2 | 0.00008 |

## How can I Protect Myself?

- Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment.
- Initial entry – SCBA, Protective Clothing (fire and chemical), Gloves, Boots
- After stabilization – Air Purifying Respirators may be OK
- Assume that everything in the building is contaminated
- Establish good decon procedures

## Decontamination Questions

- Who?
- Children, suspects, pets, responders, inadvertent exposures, evidence
- Where?
- On scene, hospital, fire station, group home, etc.
- How?
- Wet decon, dry decon, clothing removal and replacement, clothing cover and transport
- How should contaminated clothing be handled

## Decontamination

- Thought out in advance
- Hospital decon should be planned.
- What will happen to clothing?
- What about evidence shipment?
- Child friendly
- Involve the least contact possible
- Hospital, ambulance, vehicles
- Confine exposures to one area
- EMERGENCIES

## Decontamination:

- Wet and dry decon appears to be equally effective

## Unanswered Questions

- Chronic health effects
- Children
- Law enforcement personnel
- Decontamination Methodologies
- Effectiveness of decontamination
- Law enforcement, child protective services, emergency services personnel
- Children, adults, and items in the building.
- Education
- Law enforcement
- Medical Facilities
- Child Protective Services