ASSESSMENT OF FENTANYL SURFACE RESIDUE EXPOSURE RISKS: A PILOT STUDY AT A UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

1225 

Professional Poster 

K Barrett¹

¹Georgia Southern University, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Statesboro, GA

Kirsten Barrett  
Georgia Southern University, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health

Fentanyl contamination in public environments is an emerging occupational and environmental health concern, particularly in high-traffic community spaces. This in-progress study at Georgia Southern University evaluates surface residues across university shuttle buses, recreation facilities, and control rooms, with a daycare facility serving as a baseline control. Sampling targets high-touch surfaces such as handrails, seat-backs, and locker room fixtures, using Trace Eye-D colorimetric wipes with confirmatory LC-MS testing. By comparing contamination across routes, facilities, and time intervals, including morning, midday, and evening sampling, this project seeks to establish baseline data for understanding environmental presence and exposure risks. The findings will inform risk assessment, sanitation protocols, and long-term monitoring strategies in campus and community environments, with implications for custodial staff, students, and the broader public health community.

The rising prevalence of illicit fentanyl use has created new challenges for occupational and environmental health, as contamination is no longer confined to clinical or law enforcement settings. Residual fentanyl on public surfaces presents a potential risk of incidental exposure for workers and community members, particularly in high-contact environments such as university transit systems, recreation facilities, and shared control spaces. Despite growing awareness, there is little baseline data on the presence or distribution of fentanyl residues in everyday public settings. Without this information, institutions lack evidence-based guidance for evaluating risk, developing cleaning protocols, or prioritizing monitoring efforts. This study addresses that gap by systematically investigating surface contamination across campus shuttle buses, the Recreation Activity Center, and control rooms, with a daycare facility serving as a control. Establishing baseline data is essential for guiding protective measures, informing custodial training, and reducing uncertainty about potential exposures in community environments.

This study is being conducted as an in-progress surface residue investigation designed to establish baseline data on fentanyl contamination in campus environments. Sampling is taking place across four categories of sites: university shuttle buses that serve Blue, Gold, and public routes; the Recreation Activity Center (RAC); campus control rooms; and a daycare facility, which serves as the control environment. Each location was selected to represent distinct levels of use and potential risk of surface contamination.

Within each setting, high-touch areas such as handrails, seat backs, door handles, and locker room fixtures were identified for sampling. At the RAC, sampling is performed three times daily on two days each week for a five-week period. Shuttle bus sampling is distributed across routes and time blocks including mornings, mid-day, and evenings over seven weeks. Control rooms are being sampled through both standard and rotational approaches, while the daycare serves as a baseline for comparison with higher-risk environments.

The sampling procedure involves swabbing a 10 by 10 cm surface area using Trace Eye-D fentanyl detection wipes. Researchers wear nitrile gloves that are changed between each collection to prevent cross-contamination. Each wipe is applied in overlapping "S" motions both vertically and horizontally before being sealed in a labeled container. Metadata such as the site, date, time, surface type, and environmental conditions are recorded for each sample.

The study employs a two-tiered detection strategy. In the field, Trace Eye-D colorimetric wipes provide immediate results, allowing rapid identification of possible contamination. While this method is portable and cost-effective, it has limited sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, laboratory-based confirmatory analysis using Liquid Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) will be conducted in collaboration with the Georgia Southern Chemistry Department. LC-MS offers high sensitivity and reliability but is time-intensive and more costly, making it suitable for validation of field results.

Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to calculate the number of positive samples by site, time of day, and surface type. Comparisons will be drawn between locations such as the RAC and shuttle buses, and between field results and LC-MS validation. Trend analysis will be applied to examine temporal and spatial variation across the study period. As of submission, approximately 20 samples have been collected, and additional sampling is ongoing. Results remain pending until sufficient field and laboratory analysis can be completed.

This study is currently ongoing, with approximately 30 surface samples collected to date. Trace Eye-D field testing is in progress, and confirmatory LC-MS laboratory analysis is planned. Because of the early phase of data collection, no definitive results are available yet. However, the study is designed to generate meaningful conclusions once the full dataset is collected and analyzed. The anticipated outcomes include determining whether fentanyl residues are present in routine campus environments, identifying the surfaces and times of day most associated with contamination risk, and evaluating whether existing cleaning and disinfection practices reduce residue presence. The inclusion of a daycare facility as a control site will provide critical baseline data, helping to distinguish low-risk settings from high-traffic environments such as shuttle buses and recreation facilities. Regardless of whether residues are detected, the study will yield valuable insights. A positive finding would underscore the need for enhanced cleaning protocols, targeted disinfection of high-touch areas, and protective practices for custodial and maintenance staff. Conversely, the absence of detectable residues would still serve as an important baseline, demonstrating that current practices may be effective and that exposure risk in these settings remains low.

Another key contribution of this project is its dual-method approach. The combination of rapid, low-cost Trace Eye-D field wipes with the sensitivity and rigor of LC-MS confirmatory analysis demonstrates how institutions can balance practicality, affordability, and accuracy in monitoring emerging contaminants. This model highlights how field-based screening can be applied for routine surveillance, while laboratory testing provides scientific validation. From a broader perspective, the study emphasizes the importance of proactive monitoring in community environments not traditionally considered high-risk, such as recreation centers or public transit systems. Establishing baseline data now provides a foundation for developing evidence-based cleaning protocols, custodial training, and protective guidelines. It also creates a transferable framework that can be adapted to other schools, transit systems, and workplaces.

Ultimately, the long-term implication is that proactive fentanyl surface monitoring is both feasible and scalable. By combining rapid detection with confirmatory testing, institutions can better protect students, staff, and the broader community from potential exposure risks. This work supports the advancement of occupational and environmental health by offering a practical model for early detection, targeted intervention, and long-term risk reduction in the context of the ongoing opioid epidemic.

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