NIST Study Shows How the Toxic Substances Mixed Into Fentanyl Vary Across the U.S. and Change Over Time
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 source. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
★ Tier-1 Source
Official websites use.gov A.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Key facts
- NIST chemist Edward Sisco and his colleagues base their findings, reported in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis, on an analysis of 4,563 samples of drug residues collected nationwide
- Trends in Fentanyl Adulteration From Rapid Drug Analysis and Research (RaDAR) Drug Checking Samples, January 2024 to June 2026
- To rapidly identify the adulterants, the NIST researchers rely on a technique known as Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry ( DART-MS ), which uses a device called a mass spectrometer
- Official websites use.gov A.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States
Summary
Secure.gov websites use HTTPS A lock or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the.gov website. Public health officials and law enforcement agents are facing a growing challenge in combating the fentanyl epidemic: They lack detailed and timely information on the harmful and potentially deadly substances, including anesthetics, industrial chemicals, veterinary sedatives and other adulterants, that drug suppliers increasingly mix into the illicit fentanyl supply. Now, a new study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) reveals how the prevalence of these adulterants changes over time and across different regions of the country. Alerting first responders to the prevalence of specific adulterants in local supplies of fentanyl may make the difference between life and death.