Recommended Amounts of Specimens (AAFS)
1 Post-mortem Forensic Toxicology Specimens: In death investigations, the types and
minimum amounts of tissue specimens and fluids needed for toxicological evaluation of the
role of drugs and other toxic chemicals are frequently dictated by the analyte or analytes that
must be identified and quantitated. Many deaths involve ingestion of multiple drugs,
necessitating larger amounts of tissue and fluids to be collected at autopsy for toxicological
examination. The following is a suggested list of specimens and amounts to be collected at
autopsy in such cases:
Brain 50 gm
Liver 50 gm
Kidney 50 gm
Heart Blood 25 mL
Peripheral Blood 10 mL
Vitreous Humor All Available
Bile All Available
Urine All Available
Gastric Contents All Available
Personal Protective Equipment
1 Chemical goggles and/or a full face shield shall be worn during chemical transfer and
handling operations as procedures dictate.
2 Sandals, perforated shoes, cloth sneakers/tennis shoes and bare feet are prohibited when
working with hazardous chemicals. Safety shoes are required where employees routinely lift
heavy objects.
3 Laboratory coats are provided and shall be worn in the Laboratory when the possibility of
contamination exists. Laboratory coats shall be laundered on a periodic basis (at least
monthly). Laboratory coats shall be removed immediately upon discovery of contamination
and not used until laundered.
4 Chemical resistant gloves shall be worn at any time there may be skin contact with
chemicals. Used gloves shall be inspected and washed prior to re-use. Damaged or
deteriorated gloves shall be discarded and replaced immediately.
5 Thermal resistant gloves shall be worn for operations involving the handling of heated
materials, exothermic reaction vessels, or extremely cold substances. Thermal resistant gloves
shall be non-asbestos and shall be replaced when damaged or deteriorated.
Safety in sample Handling.
The following general precautions shall be followed:
1 Skin contact with all chemicals shall be avoided.
2 Laboratory personnel shall wash all areas of exposed skin prior to leaving the work area.
3 Mouth pipetting or starting a siphon is prohibited.
4 Eating, drinking, smoking, gum chewing, or applying cosmetics is prohibited in areas
where chemicals are present.
5 Storing, handling, and consuming food or beverages shall not occur in or near storage areas,
refrigerators, glassware or utensils used for Laboratory operations.
6 Any chemical mixture shall be assumed to be as toxic as its most toxic component.
7 Substances of unknown toxicity shall be assumed to be toxic.
8 Laboratory personnels shall read the SDS of all chemicals being used and shall be familiar
with the symptoms of exposure for the chemicals with which they work and the precautions
to prevent exposure.
9 All glassware shall be handled and stored with care to minimize breakage; all broken
glassware shall be placed immediately in a container for broken glass.
10 All containers in the Laboratory that contain chemicals shall be labeled. The label shall be
informative, durable, and shall identify:
Contents,
Date received, date prepared, and/or date opened,
Expiration date,
Initials of preparer or receiver, and
Any associated hazard warning
11 Acid sensitive materials such as cyanides and sulfides shall be separated from acids or
protected from contact with acids.
12. Sampling evidence is critical in toxicological analysis. One must be sure that what is
sampled is truly representative of the total sample submitted.
13 Specimens received by evidence receiving and the toxicology laboratory should, as
appropriate, be refrigerated (2-8°C) as soon as possible to preserve their condition.
Specimens may also be stored frozen (<-10ºC).
14 Whenever evidence is not actively being analyzed, it should be stored in secured evidence
refrigerators. Access to the refrigerators should be limited to toxicology personnel.
15 All employees/students shall remain vigilant to unsafe practices and conditions and shall
report immediately such practices and/or conditions to his/her supervisor. The supervisor
shall correct unsafe practices and/or conditions promptly.
16 Long hair and loose fitting clothing shall be confined close to the body to avoid being
caught in moving machine/equipment parts.
17 Fume hood should be installed
18 Unnecessary exposure to all chemicals shall be avoided.
19 No chemical shall be sniffed, tasted, or ingested.
20 Employees shall set a proper example to encourage the safe work practices of coworkers.
21 Employees shall seek information and advice from knowledgeable persons, standards, and
codes regarding hazards present in the Laboratory. Operations and protective measures shall
be planned and equipment selected accordingly.
22 Personal protective equipment shall be inspected prior to use and protective equipment
shall be worn as procedures dictate to avoid exposure.
23 Employees shall clean and decontaminate equipment and work surfaces immediately after
contact with blood or other body fluids using an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
approved disinfectant, such as 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, phenolic or quaternary
ammonium germicidal detergent solution, or a 1:10 dilution of bleach.
TOXICOLOGICAL SAMPLES AND RECEIVING
1 Specimen Collection and Labelling The proper selection, collection, and submission of
specimens for toxicological analyses is of paramount importance if analytical results are to be
accurate and their subsequent interpretation is to be scientifically sound and therefore useful
in the adjudication of forensic cases. These guidelines can apply equally to investigations by
Medical Examiners or Coroners (postmortem forensic toxicology) and to investigation by
law-enforcement agencies of cases involving human performance issues.
1 Instructions should state the types and minimum amounts of specimens needed to
accomplish the requisite analyses and subsequent interpretations.
2 Whenever possible, the amount of specimen collected should be sufficient to ensure that
enough remains for subsequent re-analysis if required.
3 Instructions should include specific requirements for the type and size of specimen
containers and, if appropriate, the type and amount of preservative to be added to biological
fluids.
4 Instructions for labelling individual specimen containers, and acceptable conditions for
packing and transportation, should also be provided.
5 Submitting agencies should be instructed to indicate relevant medical history on living
subjects or decedents who may carry a highly infectious disease.
6. Each specimen should be identified as to type. For blood, the anatomical site of collection
should be stated. When antemortem and/or perimortem specimens are available from a
decedent, each specimen should be labelled with the time and date of collection.
7 The name of the subject from whom the specimens were collected should appear on each
label together with other appropriate identification; for example, the Medical Examiner's
Case Number.
8 Where provided, the time and date registered for each specimen should be initialled or
signed by a responsible person who performed or witnessed the collection and who assumes
responsibility for the chain of custody.
Specimen Handling
1 A chain-of-custody form should be designed that will accompany specimens from the place
of collection to the laboratory. This document may be incorporated in the laboratory-request
form.
2 Handling and transportation of a specimen from one individual or place to another should
always be properly documented.
3 The chain-of-custody section should be properly completed by responsible personnel at the
time the specimens are collected.
4 Every effort should be made to minimize the number of persons handling a specimen.
5 Individual specimens should be transported and stored in such a manner as to minimize the
possibility of degradation, contamination, tampering and/or damage in shipment.
6 The condition of the external package should be documented upon receipt at the laboratory,
either on the requisition form that accompanies the specimen(s), in the log book, on the
external chain-of custody form, or on other documents that constitute normal laboratory
records.
7 Acceptable means of transporting specimens to the laboratory may include hand-delivery,
national postal service, or a private or government courier service.