Decontamination of Fentanyl and Fentanyl Analogues in Field and Laboratory Settings: A Review of Fentanyl Degradation

On account of their efficacy as m-opioid receptor agonists, fentanyl and fentanyl analogues ('fentanyls') have fallen into favour within the illicit drug community. Consequently, there has been a significant public health crisis, unfolding across many countries, involving fentanyls and other synthetic opioids. Because of the potency of these opioids, even low-level contamination represents an immediate threat to the life and health of unprotected personnel and poses significant challenges to decontamination of sites where they are present. Adimension that exacerbates these challenges is the spillage of fentanyls in non-traditional settings such as residence, and clandestine manufacturing facilities. Hence, the decontamination of these sites and neutralisation of fentanyls where they are discovered is a key requirement in site remediation. There is currently much uncertainty around the limited operational procedures promoted for the decontamination of fentanyls in operational settings due to significant gaps in knowledge about fentanyl degradation. This review provides a comprehensive survey of the literature pertaining to the forced degradation of fentanyl and its analogues. By assessing the current state of the art regarding fentanyl degradation, including identifying knowledge gaps, the authors provide recommendations for future studies. These recommendations aim to address these gaps so that future guidance provided to first responders is based on sound scientific evidence about the chemical degradation of fentanyl and its analogues.