The most at risk populations are drug ‘cooks’, residents or neighbours of labs, law enforcement officers, fire fighters, environmental clean-up crews and future residents of the contaminated site, according to the researchers.

Dr Pal and the CERAR team tested the potential for the drugs to leach into the ecosystem. They found that the drugs, their parent chemicals and chemical by-products can persist in the environment for many years.

"Further research on the bioaccumulation potential is required", said Dr Pal. “Many substances used to cook meth are quite pervasive and, if there is no proper clean-up, can continue to cause health problems for future residents, many of whom may be unaware of the contamination.”

“To make the matter even more complicated, property owners or those who may buy it afterwards may be liable for the clean-up costs and risks, even though they are both innocent and ignorant of any illegal drug activity,” he added.

“Environmental clean-up costs for clandestine meth labs range from $5000 to $150 000. The presence of one of these labs can sharply reduce property values or even lead to its condemnation,” he says.

Further research and government collaboration is need on how to control the problem, according to the CERAR researchers.

“Preventing clandestine drug manufacturers from dumping their wastes is a challenging and difficult task given the extreme secrecy under which these labs operate. Effective legislation and tougher penalties for the ‘cooks’ may help to reduce the number of illicit labs in operation,” said Dr Pal.

Young people who support the illegal drug trade by purchasing drugs need to be aware they are damaging the environment as well as they health, he adds.

In the future, the research may help police to uncover drug ‘cookers’ by producing a chemical ‘fingerprint’ that will help to convict them, according to the CERAR team.



Source-Medindia
GPL