Experiment Date: 8/28/2023 Conducted by: TN Scientific
Sample Verification: Methamphetamine sample confirmed by TN Scientific lab report #[TN08292023] published on TNScientific.com
Objective:
In the context of the opioid crisis, the risk of fentanyl contamination in drugs such as methamphetamine (meth) is increasingly concerning. Fentanyl test strips are a harm-reduction tool to detect such contamination. This study aims to assess the performance of TN Scientific's fentanyl test strips and TN Scientific’s fentanyl/xylazine combo test strips in detecting fentanyl in meth solutions, compared to Rapid Response, a long-standing fentanyl test strip industry standard known for producing false positives in high concentrations of meth.
Methods:
Solutions were prepared with 5 ml of water and increasing concentrations of meth, starting at 0 mg and incremented by 10 mg up to a maximum of 100 mg. Three types of strips were evaluated: TN Scientific's fentanyl test strips, Rapid Response strips, and TN Scientific's fentanyl/xylazine combo strips. The tests were performed according to TN Scientific's recommended dilution ratio of 10 mg of meth in 5 ml of water.
Results:
TN Scientific's fentanyl test strips showed negative results for fentanyl presence up to a concentration of 20 mg/ml of meth, with a gradual fading of the indicator line as concentrations increased. Rapid Response strips also displayed negative results up to 20 mg/ml, but the indicator line appeared more faded at concentrations of 18 mg/ml and 20 mg/ml, potentially leading to confusion of a false positive. The TN Scientific Fentanyl/Xylazine combo strips also exhibited a gradual fading of the T2 line that indicates the presence of fentanyl, becoming notably faint at concentrations of 16 mg/ml and beyond, which may also be misinterpreted as a false positive.
Conclusion:
TN Scientific's fentanyl test strips and fentanyl/xylazine combo strips performed comparably to Rapid Response strips, offering reliable detection of fentanyl in meth solutions when used according to the recommended guidelines. Adherence to the recommended dilution ratio is essential for accurate results.