CATEGORY:
Drug lab cleanup
Summary:
Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug that is often manufactured in improvised labs, which can be hazardous to people in the vicinity. Signs to look for in identifying a meth lab include lack of fire detectors, blue or yellow discoloration in walls, sinks, and showers, peculiar odor, and itching and burning sensations. Meth is made of highly toxic chemicals and can cause short-term and long-term health issues, including migraines, burns, skin irritation, problems with liver and kidneys, and even cancer. If you suspect the presence of meth in your home, it is important to hire trained professionals for cleanup rather than attempting to do it yourself. Conduct thorough research before renting or buying a new home and don't jump to conclusions based on appearance alone. Methamphetamine should be taken seriously, and precautions should be taken to preserve the health of yourself and others.
Methamphetamine is quite a dangerous drug, not only because it causes serious issues to its consumers, but it’s also a potential hazard for people who find themselves in the vicinity of a meth lab. Chemicals in meth are known to be quite detrimental to one’s well being because unlike something like cocaine, meth is not derived from natural sources but rather manufactured in improvised laboratories.
If you’re looking to rent or buy yourself a new place, it’s probably a good idea to look for particular signs that might indicate that your potential new home has once been a meth lab. On top of that, even if it wasn’t, you should look for clues in your neighborhood houses, because you don’t want to live in the vicinity of a meth lab.
Take a moment to check out this article as it is designed to bring meth toxicity closer to people who have zero ideas of its adverse effects.
Before we dive deeper into the matter, it’s probably a good idea to define what constitutes a meth lab.
A meth lab is most often an improvised setting in a house or even on wheels. Many meth labs are so-called rolling meth labs, meaning they are inside an RV, designed to be moved to a secluded location in order to hide strong toxic fumes and toxic byproducts.
There are plenty of telltale signs that are easily noticeable if you know what you’re looking for. Here are some of the things you should be looking for in order to recognize a meth lab:
If you manage to stumble upon any of these five factors, it means you’re probably standing in a house that was once a meth lab.
There’s a lack of fire and smoke detectors in almost every meth lab because the owner is trying to avoid detection and alarms. As far as discolorations go, they are usually caused by fumes and smoke. The yellow color is very hard to eliminate, if not impossible. Most experts will advise you to just get rid of contaminated sinks, showers, and drains in lieu of trying to clean them.
The most important thing you should always keep in the back of your mind is the adverse health effects of meth. To fully understand the health risks of meth, we should first define what is meth made out of.
Meth is made of highly toxic chemicals, including acetone, phosphine, and pseudoephedrine. These chemicals can cause short-term as well as long-term health issues. As far as short-term predicaments go, it’s usually migraines, burns, skin irritation, and sometimes even weight loss. Long-term effects include problems with liver and kidneys, albeit more research is required.
Many people want to know does meth cause cancer, and the answer is – yes, it can cause cancer. However, the most susceptible demographic for these health issues are infants and children. Adults usually tend to cope with potential issues of meth exposure much easier than infants and children. In fact, infants who are exposed to extended periods of time have a high chance of developing life-long health issues.
Contrary to popular misconception, you cannot deal with such dangerous things on your own. Many people think that a former meth lab needs a thorough cleanup before it turns into a livable space. While that’s somewhat true, the important element in the equation is the fact that the cleanup must be done by trained professionals who use special cleaning solutions and know exactly what it takes to clean everything up.
By DIY-ing your way out of this situation, you’re only increasing the risk rather than lowering it. You’ll certainly miss a spot or two, and consequently, end up with a contaminated home even though you’ve spent days cleaning it.
Now that we’ve covered the major risks of methamphetamine, it’s time to dive into the dos and don’ts. Use these as vague guidelines rather than hard-written rules.
Methamphetamine is something that should not be taken lightly. Whether you’re living in a vicinity of a potential meth lab or are perhaps planning to buy a house that might look like a former meth lab, we strongly advise that you take it seriously and do everything you can to preserve your health as well as the health of the people in your household. Whatever you do, don’t try to neutralize the risks by yourself, hire a team of professionals!
If you would like to know more about thorough clean ups, meth labs, or rodent infestations, don’t hesitate to read our other articles!
Contrary to what some people may think, meth labs aren’t some super high-tech facilities with dozens of scientists and multi-million dollar equipment. In fact, most meth labs are nothing but poorly executed improvisations that are usually a health hazard to everything around them. Some people turn their RVs into a meth lab, whereas others turn their whole house into a functional laboratory. Whatever the case may be, the important thing to remember is to stay away from such scenarios and probably report it to the police.
Would you recognize a drug lab if you walked by it every day?The sad truth is that most meth labs hide in plain sight. And that is because the average person doesn’t know how to recognize the tell-tale signs of what has been going on there. What are the signs of a clandestine drug lab? Keep reading to discover the answers!
Meth lab cleanup training is required for all personnel working in a decontamination capacity. When law enforcement busts a meth lab environmental contractors will do what is called a “pack out”. A pack out is the removal of gross contaminates like precursors and chemicals. This is often a dangerous job due to the flammability of some of the chemicals.
