B1a: Airborne Exposure to Methamphetamine

Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center 

Buildings are often tested for meth when there are suspicions of meth activity and are frequently found to be contaminated, but random national surveys have not been conducted to determine the actual incidence of meth contaminated houses. Many houses are occupied by non-users, often unaware of any contamination, who experience 3rd hand exposure.

We analyzed data from one survey and determined that as of 2018, 3.5% of houses in the Boulder Colorado area were contaminated at levels above health standards. We extrapolated this to the U.S. based on state meth use rates, drug manufacturing site apprehensions, meth remediations, population, and housing stock data. State-by-state estimates of contaminated houses, 3rd hand exposed persons and remediation costs were developed for the period from 1990 to 2022. The data suggest that as many as 13 million people may be occupying 5 million residences in the U.S. that are contaminated above health standards. Although based on a limited dataset, 3rd-hand meth exposure appears to be a significant environmental health issue and warrants further investigation.

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N.Minick, retired, Boulder, CO, USA. Provided data and collaborated on Boulder incidence analysis. 

Exposure Assessment

Indoor air quality

Risk assessment and management

Toxicology