Evaluation of occupational exposures to illicit drugs at controlled substances laboratories.

Measuring changes in drug particulate on evidence packaging due to routine case analysis

“…Given the potency of many emerging drugs and novel psychoactive substances, the health and safety of forensic practitioners, evidence handling technicians, crime scene technicians, and others in the forensic analysis chain continues to be of major concern. While there has been little reported in terms of exposure of forensic chemists to controlled substances, recent reports have identified that such exposure can occur [1]. Similar reports relating to clandestine laboratory chemists and emergency responders also highlight the potential exposure risks that emerging drugs, such as synthetic opioids, present [2,3].…”