Stimulants Heavy Metals in Meth?

[darvocet21]

I'm an occasional smoker (a few times a month) so I'm especially sensitive to any toxicity present, which has happened on numerous occasions over the past year and led to several days of tiredness, aching and plenty of water to flush out my body. That's why I've cut down my use....I wait for a relatively pure batch from an known source

From what I've learned about the manufacture and lack of quality controls, I suspect there may be heavy metal residues contaminating street meth (lead compounds and mercury being the obvious concerns but not the only ones...)

I'm not a chemist, but I'm proficient enough to understand when given the chance. My search through the available data revealed that there isn't much available data, at least not from impartial sources. Most comes from sources with an agenda that excludes the notion of responsible personal use

hopefully we can turn this into a resource or at least trade info

 

[Jabberwocky]

A huge number of different metals can be used as reagents in manufacturing meth depending on the production method. More than 20 according to one textbook I read. It's clear from the varying purity of the end product that some producers skimp on cleaning the meth in the final stages of production. In the1980s there were clear cases of lead poisoning from meth but that seemed to be from one particularly bad batch. However these days it is fairly common for purity to be meth 95% + especially if you are close to the importers and what's left over in the remaining 5 % is often organic substances rather than metals. Still potentially toxic but washing your meth with acetone clears them up pretty well.

 

[darvocet21]

A huge number of different metals can be used as reagents in manufacturing meth depending on the production method. More than 20 according to one textbook I read. It's clear from the varying purity of the end product that some producers skimp on cleaning the meth in the final stages of production. In the1980s there were clear cases of lead poisoning from meth but that seemed to be from one particularly bad batch. However these days it is fairly common for purity to be meth 95% + especially if you are close to the importers and what's left over in the remaining 5 % is often organic substances rather than metals. Still potentially toxic but washing your meth with acetone clears them up pretty well.

Can be used or have to be used? Depending on the synthesis, metals are sometimes essential, as in catalysts for hydrogenation. I'm not familiar enough with the synthesis of methamphetamine to be able to say one way or the other. I have the impression that meth is a fairly simple organic molecule, with a straightforward multi-step synthesis if starting with bulk quantities of ephedrine or ideally pseudoephedrine.

When prohibition expanded to include controlling supply of precursors, discovery of novel precursors & synthesis routes suggests metals, especially multi-component reactions (shake & bake) designed to save time and money (often at the expense of any health and safety concerns)

Most of the articles about metal toxicity and meth involved lead poisoning. There were none that addressed toxicity of repeated exposure to smaller residues over long periods of time

 

[darvocet21]

Can be used or have to be used? Depending on the synthesis, metals are sometimes essential, as in catalysts for hydrogenation. I'm not familiar enough with the synthesis of methamphetamine to be able to say one way or the other. I have the impression that meth is a fairly simple organic molecule, with a straightforward multi-step synthesis if starting with bulk quantities of ephedrine or ideally pseudoephedrine.

When prohibition expanded to include controlling supply of precursors, discovery of novel precursors & synthesis routes suggests metals, especially multi-component reactions (shake & bake) designed to save time and money (often at the expense of any health and safety concerns)

Most of the articles about metal toxicity and meth involved lead poisoning. There were none that addressed toxicity of repeated exposure to smaller residues over long periods of time

I have another question which I don't want to start a new thread for is it about this subject in general. What is the waxy resinous material present on the surface of even solid chunks of clear crystal? Is it the cut and in that case what purpose does it serve apart from adding volume

 

[Jabberwocky]

Most of the meth in the US is no longer made with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. Instead it’s made using the P2P method. Although P2P is restricted like pseudo there are many ways of making it through other precursors and techniques.

I am no chemist but but there are several or more steps from producing the P2P to then producing the meth. Each step has a nominal method of removing contaminants but it’s a bit rough and ready depending on the operation and the skill of the cooks.

Cooks are not chemists usually and just follow a set of standard directions.

I have no doubt that some trace amounts of contaminants make it through. But in toxic amounts? Hard to say when test results are showing 95-99% pure meth HCL in many seizures. More often the contaminants are acids and organic substances trapped in the crystal lattice of the meth.

 

[4meSM]

It could be. The p2p route has many variations, some producers might be using heavy metals for the reductive amination step. The main one that comes to mind is aluminum-mercury amalgam which is significantly cheaper than other reducing agents...
The washing and crystallization steps should get rid of most contaminants though, but not 100%.

Do you have any sources?
I haven't looked into it but I suspect that if most meth contained worrying amounts of heavy metals then one should be able to find something online.

It's worth looking into it IMO. But then again, just to put things into perspective, you're likely consuming many different contaminants every single day, from sources you're not even aware of.
Many things are contaminating with heavy metals. The other day I was reading a paper about heavy metal contamination in rolling papers, some have suprisingly high amounts.

 

[darvocet21]

It could be. The p2p route has many variations, some producers might be using heavy metals for the reductive amination step. The main one that comes to mind is aluminum-mercury amalgam which is significantly cheaper than other reducing agents...
The washing and crystallization steps should get rid of most contaminants though, but not 100%.

Do you have any sources?
I haven't looked into it but I suspect that if most meth contained worrying amounts of heavy metals then one should be able to find something online.

It's worth looking into it IMO. But then again, just to put things into perspective, you're likely consuming many different contaminants every single day, from sources you're not even aware of.
Many things are contaminating with heavy metals. The other day I was reading a paper about heavy metal contamination in rolling papers, some have suprisingly high amounts.

So there are definite health benefits of smoking blunts, gtk

 

[4meSM]

So there are definite health benefits of smoking blunts, gtk

Yeah they will probably kill any kind of parasite that may be living in your lungs

In all seriousness, blunts might be even worse. There's less info about them but a quick search tells me that some blunt wraps/papers have tested positive for various heavy metals (like lead and arsenic), as well as very high amounts of pesticides.
It probably varies from brand to brand, and even from one region to another depending on the local legislation and that sort of stuff.

Plus the fact that blunts contain tobacco means they carry all of those extra risks too. In addition to tobacco specific carcinogens, the tobacco plant loves to absorb all kinds of nasty shit from the environment, incluiding radioactive elements like Radon and Polonium.

I'm still smoking spliffs though...

 

[darvocet21]

They wouldn't put that junk in Philly Blunts! And risk getting a house call from the doctor? Not to mention Kurupt and RBX

 

[ions]

Anything after iron on the periodic table I believe starting with cobalt is considered a heavy metal. Lithium is toxic but not a heavy metal.

 

[Gaffy]

Most "Real" metals aren't volatile, so no worry about thé classic onès iykwim

 

[darvocet21]

It could be. The p2p route has many variations, some producers might be using heavy metals for the reductive amination step. The main one that comes to mind is aluminum-mercury amalgam which is significantly cheaper than other reducing agents...
The washing and crystallization steps should get rid of most contaminants though, but not 100%.

Do you have any sources?
I haven't looked into it but I suspect that if most meth contained worrying amounts of heavy metals then one should be able to find something online.

It's worth looking into it IMO. But then again, just to put things into perspective, you're likely consuming many different contaminants every single day, from sources you're not even aware of.
Many things are contaminating with heavy metals. The other day I was reading a paper about heavy metal contamination in rolling papers, some have suprisingly high amounts.

If I find reputable sources I will share here. Thx again

In the mean time considering sending chunk 2 drugdata.org

 

[CFC]

I'm especially sensitive to any toxicity present, which has happened on numerous occasions over the past year and led to several days of tiredness, aching and plenty of water to flush out my body.

Tiredness and aching are literally two of the most common side-effects of using meth, so you have no reason to be unduly worried about heavy-metal contamination on the basis of those symptoms my friend.

 

[HOOH]

ore than 20 according to one textbook I read

Oh absolutely not, that's straight up bullshit, the only common metal used in meth manufacture are Sodium and Lithium, and those don't make it into the final product anyway.

 

[ions]

P2P meth uses mercury. Hydrogen gas can avoid this.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Oh absolutely not, that's straight up bullshit, the only common metal used in meth manufacture are Sodium and Lithium, and those don't make it into the final product anyway.

Different production methods use metals and precursors. It’s a bit more complex than shake and bake. Ther reductive animation step in P2P especially can use different metals as a reducing agent. I’m no chemist but its clear from reading enough papers.

 

[HOOH]

Different production methods use metals and precursors. It’s a bit more complex than shake and bake. Ther reductive animation step in P2P especially can use different metals as a reducing agent. I’m no chemist but its clear from reading enough papers.

Regardless, those don't make it into the final product, because the product needs to be washed, during which the metals are lost due to the insolubility.

 

[negrogesic]

No significant heavy metals in most meth.

However i will say that the use of exclusively italic font is a clear indicator of heavy metal poisoning.

I will also say that the use of meth and the illusion that one is being poisoning by heavy metals is not inversely related.

 

[BK38]

However i will say that the use of exclusively italic font is a clear indicator of heavy metal poisoning.

Lol

 

[darvocet21]

No significant heavy metals in most meth.

However i will say that the use of exclusively italic font is a clear indicator of heavy metal poisoning.

I will also say that the use of meth and the idea that one is being poisoning by heavy metals are not inversely related.

Thank YOU... Finally, someone who understands and sympathizes!