Illicit fentanyl activities cause unique contamination incidents and risk to law enforcement, first responders, remediation contractors, and the public. Risk is a function of the chemical characteristics and amount involved, the size of the area that has been contaminated, the type of surface contaminated, moisture and ventilation, and the human activity patterns within the contaminated environment. Fentanyl is fast-acting, but the life-threatening effects are reversible if detected early and treated. Characterization of the contamination requires media-specific sampling and analysis procedures to ensure accurate chemical identification; and quantitation as well as information describing the types and severity of effects anticipated from identified levels of exposure. This information guides health-based decisions made before, during, and after remediation. It enables decisions that protect workers and civilians, including those that may reoccupy previously contaminated areas. These decisions include those for decontamination and remediation to reduce exposures to acceptable levels of risk. Sampling and analysis procedures should be developed not only for water contamination (because these compounds are water soluble and have been identified in water sources), but also for fentanyl contamination within residences (<i>e.g.</i>, indoor surfaces, such as bathrooms, and water infrastructure). Analytical detection capabilities will be discussed for several matrix types (<i>e.g</i>., surface materials and water). A successful approach to ensure the safety of law enforcement, first responders, remediation contractors, and the public can be developed by coordinating separate approaches to estimating the toxicity/risk, remediation efficacy and analytical detection capability for various fentanyl analogs and derivatives.

Assessment of environmental fentanyl contamination exposure and analytical detection for remediation of affected areas

2019 Spring National Meeting

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