The ephedrine is the hardest chemical to obtain. Though it is readily available in decongestants, the low concentration makes it difficult to process efficiently. The average ephedrine pill is just 25 milligrams, and it is concentrated many times through the cooking process. Gary Sundt of the Washington State Patrol. A basic cleanup calls for sampling the contents of containers left on site, consolidating identical chemicals into the same drums, and shipping it to the landfill.
More complicated cases require testing interior finishes, septic systems and wells.
Usually we don't have to do that, but some cooks make their own drains and dump the chemicals out in the yard. The Washington State Patrol also takes its own samples and holds them as evidence. It stores small vials of the samples in sealed paint cans filled with kitty litter, to ensure absorption, should the chemical spill in the paint can, Sundt said. After fingerprinting containers and glassware, the site is photographed, and the cleanup team can move in. Just knowing a site was a meth lab tells nothing about the degree of contamination, according to Jeff Burgess, M.D., M.H.P., a toxologist at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.