PNNL

While the deadly opioid epidemic continues to expand, claiming more lives every day, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are working to combat the rapidly evolving threat through enhanced detection capabilities. In the article “Fentanyl Hazards and Detection,” featured in the June 2024 issue of the Domestic Preparedness Journal, biomedical scientist Ashley Bradley and Senior Technical Advisor Kristin Omberg address the scientific and technological challenges with detecting fentanyl and how new research is shedding light on potential solutions. 

“The chemical structure of fentanyl is constantly changing and that makes it difficult for detection equipment to keep pace. The more we understand these emerging substances and the equipment used to detect them, the greater protection we can deliver to the first responders encountering this threat in the field,” said Bradley.  

In the article, Bradley and Omberg highlight a series of projects focused on closing the gap between detection equipment and what responders encounter in the field. The work resulted in three new ASTM laboratory standards, updated spectral libraries used by detection equipment, and most recently, a publicly accessible report assessing field-portable detection products against the updated compound libraries and testing standards.

“The impacts of illicit opioids are widespread, and this work is building a path toward better detection to improve protection for first responders in the field,” said Omberg.

Bradley will be participating on a panel showcasing recent fentanyl detection research, including standards development and technology assessments, at the upcoming National Homeland Security Conference held July 22–25, 2024, in Miami, Florida.