Meth Testing Service 

The easiest way to explain this is as follows: 

Both drugs are stimulants of the central nervous system. However, Amphetamine is chemically Phenylethylamine, while Methamphetamine is referred to as N-methylamphetamine. 

These drugs are processed differently in the user’s body due to the chemical makeup being different.

There are different forms of Methamphetamine, generally distinguished by appearance and perceived purity. 

The three main forms are: 

• Crystalline (ice or crystal) 
• Powder (speed)
• Base

Ice is about 80-95% pure. It usually looks like colourless/white crystals or a coarse crystal-like powder, but it can also appear in other colours. 

Speed is typically around 10-20% pure. Usually comes in a white or yellow powder, but can also be bought as pills. 

Base is literally the base form from which speed is manufactured. It is an oily, sticky paste with a bitter, astringent after taste. 

The two main ways that a building/property becomes contaminated is through smoking and the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

When an individual smokes meth, the drug is heated causing vapours to be released. The excess vapour that is not inhaled by the smoker is then released on the floors, furnishings, walls, and duct system leaving a toxic residue of meth. 

Surfaces that are contaminated by the manufacturing process of methamphetamine usually show a lot higher reading than surfaces with smoking residue. Manufacturing contamination arises from aerosol production, spillage & waste disposal.

Chemicals such as Lithium metal, Liquid Ammonia, LPG, Acetone, Hydrochloric Acid and Caustic Soda that are commonly used in the cooking process can become air born and land on surfaces and inside porous materials.

Contamination can also arise from solid forms of methamphetamine that have been spilled and worked into carpets, furniture and upholstery. 

The effect of living in a contaminated building can be wide-ranging. The symptoms can be similar to the seasonal impacts associated with allergies or colds and flu or more problematic. 

The main point of difference you need to note is that symptoms will persist far longer than you would typically expect. Some people may experience none of these symptoms, while others may suffer from a large number of them. 

Symptoms include:

• Headaches
• Watery or burning eyes
• Nausea
• Burning skin
• Coughing or choking
• Pain in diaphragm
• Feeling cold or weak
• Shortness of breath or dizziness
• A decrease in cognitive function
• Confusion
• Vertigo
• Convulsions
• Sleep disorders
• Stinging Eyes

The chemical residue, left over from the manufacturing process, can seep into soft furnishings, carpets, timber floors and door frames, and even walls and ceilings. While you often can’t see the toxins, you may be made painfully aware of their presence through the above symptoms. Children, adults and pets living in contaminated dwellings have been known to suffer ill-effects of exposure. 

Sadly children are most at risk due to their inquisitive nature naturally wanting to touch and taste and texture of different objects.

• Australian Guidelines for Meth Residue within a Residential Property is 0.5μg/100cm2
• Australian Guidelines for Meth Residue within a Commercial/Industrial Property is 10μg/100cm2. 

The Australian Government (in its Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines – 2011) has set the Health Investigation Level at 0.5μm (micrograms) per 100cm2 for meth on residential surfaces. 

Exceedance of this Investigation Level (IL) does not necessarily mean a risk exists but indicates the need for further investigation or action such as a NIOSH 9111 test. This guideline is set as a goal to receive a reading of below this national health investigation level (HIL) of 0.5ug/100cm2, the exceedance of this level is considered unacceptable. 

When an individual smokes Meth, the drug very rarely releases a smell. If high levels of smoking contamination is within the home, you might smell odours such as ammonia-like smell similar to glass cleaner or cat urine. These smells can be easily masked with a fresh coat of paint, cleaning/removing of carpets or ventilation.

This, however, will not remove the toxic residue that is embedded into the floors, furnishings, walls, and duct system. The vapours extracted from smoking meth will also leave no visual evidence. This is why it is so essential to get a property tested before you purchase or move into a new rental property. 

• It is only the manufacturing process of Meth that will create a strong smell that may align with odours such as nail polish remover, varnish or paint thinner, cat urine, a “hospital” type smell, rotten eggs or burning plastic. These smells can be easily masked with a fresh coat of paint, cleaning/removing of carpets or ventilation. This, however, will not remove the toxic residue that is embedded into the floors, furnishings, walls, and duct system. 
• Chemical staining on walls and floors can also be an indication of cooking. Yellow or red stains are likely to be a result of phosphorous or iodine spillage.  
• Externally in the garden, you may notice burn pits, stained soil, or dead vegetation indicating dumped chemicals from a meth lab. 
• You may also notice unusual venting or plumbing that has been installed within the property. 

Meth can be manufactured with the “shake and Bake” method within 30 minutes with only a few manufacturing materials needed to complete the process. This means that a lab can be early transported and disposed of with very little evidence left behind. An individual who rents a hotel room, or car can smoke freely with no fear of being caught. 

Meth contamination has also been found in: 

• Industrial and commercial work environments
• Used cars
• Charter boats
• Rental storage units
• Rental vehicles, including cars, trucks, campers and vans
• Hotels
• Motel units
• Holiday homes

Depending on your situation we will start with a rapid test at either 0.2μg or 0.5μg. This test will identify if meth is present within the property. 

We will mostly start testing at  0.5μg as this is the Australian guideline level. This Rapid test will give a positive or negative result to methamphetamine residue over 0.5μg or over 0.2μg. We will complete this test to the number of rooms you request. 

If a single room (or multiple rooms) show positive to methamphetamine residue over 0.5μg, we then suggest that you test those rooms with the NIOSH 9111 test. This test is a laboratory test that will show the exact contamination level. 

At each step of the testing process, we will explain the results and what the next step is. 

Please note:  Stewarts Drug Testing does not carry out decontamination services. We do this to remain impartial so that once the building has been decontaminated, we are then able to finish the testing process and retest to make sure the decontamination successfully decreased the level to under the Australian Guidelines.

Decontamination can range from a simple sugar soap wash down to demolishing of a building. The level of contamination will determine what process of decontamination needs to be carried out. 

To simplify the process, the Australian Guidelines have listed out three categories including Clean Up/Wash Up, Stripping/Encapsulation & Demolition.

Clean Up/wash Up

• Ventilation
• Detergent washing surfaces followed by rinsing with water
• Vacuuming surfaces with high efficiency particulate air vacuums
• Steam cleaning/ high pressure cleaning
• Neutralization of surfaces with weak acids/ bases
• Flushing pipes with water

Stripping/Encapsulation

• Removal of all structure contents, including appliances, furnishings, floor coverings, curtains, blinds, panelling, drywall and wallpapers
• Cleaning and vacuuming
• Sealing of surfaces with paints or other materials
• Disposal of contents/stripped materials; and 
• Flushing pipes with water

Demolition

• Removal of all structure contents
• Demolition of structure
• Disposal of structure/contents

If a property is found to be contaminated, it can involve removing interior treatments including plasterboard ceiling and wall linings, carpets, curtains, electrical cabling, range hoods, air-conditioning units and insulation which can range from $5,000 - $50,000. In saying this, it depends on the level of contamination. Most of the time decontamination will involve sugar soap, fresh paint and the removal of curtains etc.

A Rapid Test is similar to a pregnancy test. It will give us a positive or negative result, but will not give us an exact reading on the level of contamination.

If we test using a 0.2μg Rapid Test, we will receive either a positive result of methamphetamine residue over 0.2μg or a negative result of methamphetamine residue under 0.2μg. The same principle applies to the 0.5μg test.

The test is done by one of our trained technicians who swab a rough area of 100cm2. As we swab the area, we place the swab back into a buffer liquid picking up any residue. Once we have swabbed a suitable amount of surface area, we then dip the buffer liquid into a cassette that will give us a positive or negative reading to methamphetamine residue of or over 0.2ug or 0.5ug. (An exact contamination level is obtained through doing the NIOSH 9111 test.) 

The NIOSH 911 test will give us an exact reading of the level of contamination within a building. We complete this test if a known lab has been in used in a property or if we have received a positive result with the Rapid Test 0.5μg. 

We complete NIOSH 9111 process by swabbing a 100cm2 area in a number of rooms. Each room receives its own swab and lab vial. These swabs are then sent off to the Lab where they are analysed individually. 

We will then receive a report back from the lab with the exact level of contamination in each room as well as precursors. 

When a Field Composite Test is carried out, the technician takes multiple samples throughout the whole building. The swab samples are then sent off to the lab where you will receive one result from numerous samples. While in a NIOSH 9111 test you will receive individual results from each sample swab. 

We do not agree with this method of Composite testing because it is inaccurate and causes the customer to spend more money than necessary. If a positive result is shown on a Field Lab Composite Test, you are unable to trace if the contamination is from all rooms tested or if it’s from a single room. 

The other problem with this method is that contamination levels can come back extremely inaccurate. When multiple swabs are combined to create single contamination report, the results will come back extremely high. For example, if you test 5 rooms that all range around the 0.3ug contamination level (under the Australian Guidelines) and combined them to create one contamination level result – It is going to show results over the 0.5ug Guidelines when in reality not one of the rooms are over the 0.5ug level.

YES! Installments can be made quickly and efficiently with the assistance of our accounts manager.

Yes. We offer all Real Estate Agents discounted prices on all testing.

Property managers and owners leasing out property have a legal responsibility to make sure the tenant is living in a safe and healthy environment. 

On top of this, a tenant is considered to be causing malicious damage when smoking or manufacturing Meth causing contamination to the building. 

This is why we recommend a 0.2ug rapid test when a tenet is vacating a property. This ensures that the property remains contamination free.