Occupational exposures to illicit drugs in forensic science divisions

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Forensic Science
• Toxicology

Background:

• Forensic scientists handle diverse illicit substances daily.
• Concerns exist regarding occupational exposure to opioids like fentanyl and other drugs.
• The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) initiated an exposure assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess occupational exposure risks for forensic laboratory personnel.
• To evaluate exposure to fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
• To compare measured exposure levels with established occupational exposure limits.

Main Methods:

• Collected and analyzed personal and area air samples.
• Collected and analyzed handwipe and surface wipe samples.
• Collected and analyzed personal urine samples for drug metabolites.
• Compared results to American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs).

Main Results:

• Fentanyl exposure limits (100 ng/m³) were exceeded in personal air samples at 4 of 11 sites.
• Fentanyl surface limits (10 ng/cm²) were exceeded on commonly touched surfaces at 3 of 11 sites.
• Detectable levels of cocaine and methamphetamine were found in air and surface samples.
• Illicit drug metabolites were detected in urine samples from personnel at 8 of 11 sites.

Conclusions:

• Occupational safety thresholds for fentanyl were exceeded in forensic laboratories.
• Established safety thresholds are lacking for other illicit drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine.
• Prudent occupational safety requires minimizing chronic low-dose exposure due to unknown health effects.
• Further research is needed to understand potential health effects of chronic low-dose illicit drug exposure.