TESTING

There are three types of testing available to test property.

Indicative testing
Swab First
Forensic testing

If you require a report on the testing outcome for insurance purposes or as a claim for compensation then it is always best to get an independent professional to do the task. They understand airflow and addicts habits and favourite places to smoke in the property. They know what to look for and how to find the drug if its there and can provide you with a detailed report. An independent person carries more weight than a report provided by you.

Important points to remember when testing for Meth contamination

When Meth is used or manufactured in a property it will NOT contaminate areas evenly. This means that one area of a room can have high readings whilst another area of the same room has low readings. This is due to where in the room the Meth was smoked and what the airflow is in the room. It is vital that this is taken into account before testing. For example when we employed a building inspector to undertake the testing in our property, of the six tests he undertook five came up negative. He was testing using indicative testing kits on walls that had been freshly painted in an attempt to cover up the contamination. With this testing the bedroom was declared safe. The forensic tester who came later explained to us that airflow and addict's habits make a significant difference to the levels in a room. This forensic tester took samples from the other side of the bedroom near the window and the readings here were twenty times the safe level.

Also indicative testing, detailed below, only gives an indication that Meth is in the property at levels above .5µ/100cms2. Hence whilst the building inspector recorded negative results using indicative testing kits the levels were actually .4 µ/100cms2. Meth contamination was present but we might have been erroneously left thinking it was not there unless we had tested forensically.

Indicative Testing

This is a simple and easy DIY method. Australian Meth Inspectors can supply these kits.

The kits are suitable for one-off property and vehicle testing. Indicative testing does not supply results on how high the levels of contamination are. They only indicate that Meth levels above the 'action' level of .5µ/100cm2 are present. This can mean that people think there is no Meth contamination in the property when in fact there is. A level of .49µ/100cm2 would not register as positive.

Many professionals only conduct 6 tests in the property and as discussed above this is insufficient as they may miss the area that has major contamination. If you choose to DIY in the first instance we recommend you undertake at least 10 tests.

DIY Screening kit is the best choice for:
• Cars
• Boats
• Single room
• Concerned parents

Contents – DIY Screening Kit.
• 2 Screening Tests for (Meth)Amphetamines
• 2 Special Buffer Solution Dropper
• 2 Cotton Swabs
• 2 Templates
• Instruction Sheet

Contact

Phone: 0410 532 455

Email: testing@australianmethinspectors.com.au
Link: Australian Meth Inspectors

Contact

Phone: 1300 002 201

Email: admin@swabfirst.com.au

Mailing Address:

Swab First Pty. Ltd.
P.O. Box 10143
Adelaide BC
SA 5000

Link: Swab First

Swab First

Drug testing made simple

Swab First is an Australian designed and developed testing kit that can test for the presence of multiple drugs such as Methamphetamine - Heroin - Amphetamine - Cocaine - Cannabis - Ecstasy - Nicotine.

Swab First have nothing to gain by sending you a positive result because they are not affiliated with any cleaning or remediation company. They are simply about testing.

Swab first have two testing packages available.

The first is a Do It Yourself kit which contains everything you need to collect and send the sample to the Swab First National laboratory for analysis. It is recommended for people who wish to undertake a discreet testing of personal or corporate property for drug residues. It is marketed as ideal for families, businesses and schools.

The second is a test performed by a Swab First authorised sample collector. This product is ideal for property purchasers and landlords who would like the test performed during routine property inspections.

Forensic Testing

Forensic laboratory analysis is a method of testing used once there is a suspicion that Meth contamination may be present in a property. With this method samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis. This method gives an indication as to the exact level of the Meth contamination in the area tested. It also helps to determine the extent of the remediation and decontamination required.

Whilst it sounds like it gives a comprehensive account of the property it can in fact be misleading. In our case the forensic report for two rooms came back with very low levels of Meth contamination. These were taken from freshly painted walls. As only one test area of a room is sampled this actually led to a false reading for these rooms. Later testing proved that another area of the rooms actually had high levels.

Forensic Testing Contents

Can contents be tested? The answer is - YES they can.

Is it worth testing ? The answer is - That all depends on the value of the item to be tested.

Testing individual items is as expensive as testing the property. Indicative tests can be used but they only show if its there above the recommended level and therefore do not give any indication as to whether the item has been successfully cleaned or not. Forensic testing is very expensive and then has to be undertaken twice, once before cleaning and once after cleaning. Then add to that the cost of cleaning the item and it is often cheaper to just destroy the item.

Is multiple testing needed?

Testing for Meth contamination depends on the outcome you require. You can use DIY kits first. This will be the cheapest option for you. When you have a positive test result then you might either employ a building inspector to give you a detailed report so that you can confirm your results before embarking on a full forensic test. Note however that some testers don't fully understand how and where to test. It is an unregulated industry with many untrained people offering testing.

The problem with this is that:

The tester does not understand airflow or addicts habits and tests the wrong areas of the property
They can use the test kits incorrectly giving false readings
They can deliberately test to get high readings
If not tested properly first time you can be accused of 'planting Meth' at a later date when the property is tested accurately.

Another avenue is to use the Swab First test kits, these are more expensive than indicative tests but can be undertaken as DIY. They will give an idea of whether the contamination is just Meth related or if other drugs are involved.

When you have positive results from your own testing or the Swab First tests you may then decide to undertake more expensive forensic testing. This testing will give you the levels of Meth contamination in the property and from here you are able to determine the risk to your health and the extent of the damage to the property. If you own the property you will need to have it forensically tested after remediation to ensure it is safe for habitation.

It is possible to have forensic testing undertaken on contents of the property. It is expensive and if you decide to clean the contents then you will have to test them again once they have been cleaned.

Costs to test for Meth Contamination

Testing can vary dependant on the company offering the test kits or the testing services. For accurate pricing you are advised to visit the websites and compare what you get for the price. BEWARE though that there are many rogue cowboys and untrained personnel out there who will take advantage of you so it is advisable to really do your research well before committing to anyone.