RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

19 October 2026

Chemical fingerprinting charts the rises and declines of specific adulterants in illicit supplies of the drug.

Samples of illicitly produced fentanyl were found to contain potentially lethal substances, including industrial chemicals and anaesthetics. Credit: Angela Weiss /AFP/Getty

Illegally manufactured versions of the painkiller fentanyl are being cut with an increasing range of potentially dangerous substances 1 . That’s according to a US rapid-analysis programme aimed at spotting changes in the make-up of fentanyl sold as a street drug.

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