Unlawful lab leftovers.

The last decade has seen the painfully rapid rise in the use of methamphetamine, an illegal and dangerous drug with unpredictable effects on users. Also known as speed, ice, or crystal, methamphetamine is a potent central nervous system stimulant that can be smoked, snorted, injected, or ingested. The toll it takes on users is high. However, the potential environmental health hazards from the labs that manufacture methamphetamine are also severe. For every pound of processed methamphetamine there are an estimated six pounds of waste. The recipes that so-called meth cooks use to produce methamphetamine are relatively simple and available on the Internet. Meth-amphetamine can be produced using over-the-counter drugs such as cold remedies, household products, and other easily available chemicals. Ingredients may include ephedrine, sodium hydroxide, red phosphorus , sulfuric acid, lithium, aluminum hydride, chloroform, alcohols, ethers, mer-curic chloride, and hydrochloric acid. The by-products and contaminants associated with metham-phetamine production vary, depending upon how controlled and sophisticated the production process is. Over-or underheating or improper mixing can generate toxic by-products such as lead oxide, aluminum hydroxide, mercury vapor, iodine, phosphine, and yellow phosphorus. These chemicals become a threat to all who come in contact with them when they are released into the air, septic systems, streams, or soil, or when they permeate furniture, carpets, or air vents. Since producing salable quantities of methamphetamine is not difficult, clandestine labs have been set up in houses, apartments, motel rooms, sheds, and motor vehicles. The latest (1999) national survey from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency showed over 7,500 clandestine lab seizures, with the largest numbers in western states such as California, Arizona, and Washington, followed by midwestern states such as Missouri, Iowa, and Arkansas. More labs are being found in previously little-affected regions such as New England. In addition, there has been a dramatic escalation in reported numbers since the 1999 survey, partially as a result of growing awareness and expertise among law enforcement officials. For example , Washington State officials seized 1,454 labs in 2000 (double the 1999 figure) and had seized that many again by October 2001. When in operation , the clandestine laboratories present a high risk of fires and toxic gas releases. Many of the initial ingredients and combinations made from them are potentially explosive. The labs also expose the cooks, their children, and their neighbors to toxic substances. When abandoned or seized, the labs pose new legal and …