NIST Study Shows How the Toxic Substances Mixed Into Fentanyl Vary Across the U.S. and Change Over Time October 8, 2026

https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2026/10/nist-study-shows-how-toxic-substances-mixed-fentanyl-vary-across-us-and 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. NIST chemist Edward Sisco and his colleagues base their findings, reported in Drug Testing and Analysis, on an analysis of 4,563 samples of drug residues collected nationwide between January 2024 and June 2026. The team relied on a technology that identifies trace amounts of unknown compounds within seconds.