the most smallest size

[particles]

This is the scenario: At least a 2 dozen boxes of crumbled medication (it was a very brittle presentation (soluble in the mouth) was contained in a room- there was lots of dust of this medication everywhere. It was cleaned and thrown away but......can the dust left behind, in non-visible to the eye from SO MUCH medication, stay somehow penetrated in the environment or objects in came in contact with? And still produce some for of effect on highly sensitive people?

[Kyrisch]

Didn't you post this someplace else?

[iNow]

Was it cocaine?

[particles]

Yes I did post this, but this was a more throurough explanation.....and the substance was not cocaine, but was of the mood inducing type.....any thoughts?

 

btw, if it was cocain o similar substance, would that have revelance?

[Mr Skeptic]

Yes, in this case quite a bit of dust could be trapped in porous objects, especially cloth, rugs, etc. If you happen to be hypersensitive to the drug, you may want all such objects washed professionally. If you are thinking of licking the floor to get high, forget it.

[particles]

Thank you so much....washed professionally, as in how? Are there special methods or machines?

 

Oh, and can they get on non-porous objects as well? And stay there for the time remaining of the medication shelf-life?

[Mr Skeptic]

The medicine is almost certainly water soluble, so washing it with water should remove it. Which would be a problem for rugs or couches.

[SkepticLance]

There is no clear answer since there are two unspecified variables.

1. How much is left, available for ingestion.

2. How potent is the drug.

 

The first law of the science of toxicology is :

"the dose makes the poison."

This principle also applies to drugs, and it says that every substance has a dose that is sufficiently small for the chemical to have zero effect - positive or negative - on the organism ingesting it. If your psychoactive substance gets into the human body in small enough dose, the effect is zero. If in sufficient dose, it will have an effect.

 

You need to specify the answer to the two wuestions.

[particles]

As far as potency, the medication has a 3 year shelf life, as far as amount, there was dust particles everyhwere, but question is, as far as particles in-visible to the eye in relation to hipersensitvity, is there a possiblity for effect?? if it was a mood altering drug? And I guess, the question is also relative to the fact the this person still has it in the his organism, andif in contact in microscopic particles, can that trigger another affect or have an effect?

[SkepticLance]

To particles

'Potency' is not the same as shelf life. So that question remains. You need to know how much of the drug is needed to trigger an effect, and also how much is ingested, to know whether it can cause that effect.

 

My immediate reaction is to say it is not terribly likely. Most chemicals need a reasonable dose to have an impact, and a few dust particles are unlikely to do this, unless we are talking about a really potent substance.

[particles]

Hmm I can't determine "Potency" since I'm not a chemist, but I know it was a VERY STRONG mood inducing medication, similar to drugs, so for the situation of having had spread so much in dust, and someone being highly sensitve, this is the relevant question.

[SkepticLance]

To particles

If you know the scientific or generic name for the active ingredient in the drug, you can do a google search, and probably find out the minimum dose likely to cause an effect. A similar, but slightly lesser measure is known as the NOEL, and sometimes as the NOAEL. (no observed effect limit, and no observed adverse effect limit).

[particles]

I just need to know if it possible that a medication was taken for 7 years, after stopped, but still have it in system, to have high-sensitivity to it, where anywhere there's traces of it, it still affects me (I have a skin desease and it reacts whenever I around objects that were around this medication - again, I need to mention this was large amounts of dust and boxes of it, and it got cleared away but it seems like, the dust spread everywhere instead.) I have always been ultra-sensitve, the most smallest thing affects me, so I don't doubt this is possible, but I would like some scientific back-up for it. Thank you!!

[iNow]

Is it Ritalin?

[SkepticLance]

To particles

I assume that this is something that is personally very emotionally sensitive and you don't want to get too specific. Fair enough.

 

In that case, you will need to do the basic research yourself. Every substance is different in its effects, and none of us can give you a statement that applies to all of the possible drugs this might be. Check on google. Find out the minimum level able to cause a discernable effect and compare that level with the levels you are talking about.