National Jewish to Study Chemical Hazards in 'Meth Labs'

Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center are accompanying law enforcement and health officers on seizures of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories. They are trying to better understand the hazards posed by toxic chemicals in these illegal labs with a goal of better protecting first responders who enter the drug labs, and children found living in more than a third of them. National Jewish will be the first in the nation to develop such a comprehensive research protocol.

"As the methamphetamine epidemic rapidly escalates in Colorado and around the nation, more police and other first responders are being exposed to a toxic brew of chemicals found in laboratories where these drugs are manufactured," said John Martyny, PhD, industrial hygienist and Associate Professor of Medicine at National Jewish. "No one fully understands the chemical hazards present in these labs, protective measures first responders should take, or health monitoring that should be conducted on these first responders."

Among the chemicals found in methamphetamine labs are hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphine, acetone, and anhydrous ammonia. Although hazards posed by these individual chemicals are generally understood, no one knows what happens when these chemicals combine in the meth labs and what exactly is in the air, carpets, and walls of the labs.

Beginning in January 2003, Dr. Martyny and Shawn Arbuckle, manager of the Industrial Hygiene program and National Jewish, will accompany investigators from the North Metro Task Force, the Tri-County Health Department and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on approximately 15 meth lab seizures. They and the officers will sample air in the labs to determine exactly what first responders are exposed to when they enter the labs. The project is funded by grants from the Division of Criminal Justice in the Colorado Department of Public Safety and NIOSH.

Specifically, the project is designed to:

• Identify the chemicals found in meth labs
• Identify the chemical exposure hazards for first responders
• Determine the appropriate level of personal protective equipment (respirators, gloves, clothing) for emergency responders when entering meth labs
• Develop a protocol/procedure for hospitals to implement medical surveillance programs for first responders
• Develop a post-exposure protocol and medical monitoring procedure for emergency responders should they be exposed to meth lab chemicals

In the future, National Jewish researchers, in conjunction with other organizations, such as the Colorado Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, hope to use this information to develop better guidelines and procedures to protect children and other innocent bystanders often found in the labs.

In 1998, law enforcement officers in the state of Colorado raided 31 meth labs. By 2001, more than 450 meth labs were discovered. The numbers were expected to continue their rapid rise in 2002. The problem has grown at a similar pace across the nation.

Research Results