Later, he noticed another stain by the front door. Some grass and a camellia bush near the stain turned brown and died. In Contra Costa County, it's not unusual for hazmat workers to find evidence of contamination, then leave it up to the homeowner to decide what, if anything, to do about it, according to a review of meth lab cases from June 1998 through May 1999. Meth labs tend to be messy places, where the chemicals used to manufacture the drug find their way into porous surfaces, such as carpets and drywall. Spills and explosions can splatter chemicals everywhere.
Fumes accumulate in the walls or other surfaces.
A list of meth lab chemicals compiled by Miller includes carcinogens and reproductive and neurological toxins. If anyone looks for it, contamination is almost always found. In Oregon, it's discovered in 95 to 98 percent of labs where sampling is done, Mitchell said. No one knows how dangerous this contamination may be. There's been no collection of data.