There are two levels of testing that are required to establish whether or not a property is contaminated by methamphetamine.
Level 1 Screening (Multi-Wipe Field Composite technique)
The Multi-wipe Field Composite technique is where individual wipes are taken from 100cm2 areas according to the NIOSH 9111 technique, but then are put in to one tube and submitted to the laboratory for analysis. The result represents a sum or accumulation of Meth on the wipes in the tube the result can be compared (with care!) against the regulatory limit because the correct sampling technique is used. Up to 10 seperate wipes can be composited.
Level 2 Testing (Individual Sample Technique)
The individual sample technique involves wipe sampling according to the NIOSH 9111 protocol (one wipe per 100cm2). The strengths of this technique are that it is NIOSH 9111 compliant, and each result can be compared directly with the regulatory limit. The weakness of this technique is that it is the most expensive option as each part of the property needs to be sampled and analysed separately.
New Ministry of Health recommendations, released on 29 June 2017 advises the new level that have been determined by New Zealand Standards. This level now stands at:
1.5 µg/100 cm2 (1.5 micrograms of methamphetamine per 100 square centimetres of surface sampled) in a high use area of the property, and,
3.8 µg/100 cm2 (3.8 micrograms of methamphetamine per 100 square centimetres of surface sampled) in low usage areas.
If the levels are above this then the property is deemed as being un-inhabitable until remediation work has been completed. The comprehensive report supplied allows the remediation company to focus on the areas that require attention.
Meth Detect NZ does not use ‘instant tests’ that are currently available – these tests are very subjective and do not produce a definitive answer to the all-important question “How contaminated is my property?”
Our samples are analysed by a certified laboratory who supply a definitive result after analysing the swabs.