How is methamphetamine made and what are the potential dangers from processing?
Methamphetamine is made from common, readily-available materials, using one of many different chemical processes. There are more than 200 substances that can be used to produce meth, depending on the method used. Many potentially dangerous chemical ingredients are used and additional chemicals are formed during manufacture. Various meth recipes include the use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), explosives, acids, bases, metals, solvents, and salts. Meth manufacture creates the potential for explosions, chemical fires, and the release of toxic gases. The processes also result in sludge and liquid wastes with the potential to contaminate a structure and its contents, the air, and the groundwater or soil where they are deposited. Five to seven pounds of chemical waste is produced for each pound of meth manufactured. After a lab has been abandoned or shut down by law enforcement, the property is usually found to be contaminated with hazardous chemicals. Clandestine labs use improvised e
