A number of errors with potentially significant consequences may be introduced at various points in the analytical process which result in skewed, erroneous analytical results. Precautionary procedures such as contamination control, following established sample collection protocols, and having a complete understanding of the long-term stability of the elements of interest can minimize or eliminate these errors. Contamination control is critical in quantification of Cr and Co in human whole blood. Cr and Co levels in most biological samples are low, but these elements occur naturally in the environment and are often found in commercial and consumer products, which increases the risk of contamination. In this paper, we demonstrated that lot screening process in which we pre-screen a sub-set of manufactured lots used in collecting, analyzing, and storing blood samples is a critical step in controlling Cr and Co contamination. Stainless steel needles are often utilized in blood collection but are considered a potential source of introducing metal contamination to the patient sample. We conducted two studies to determine if there is a possibility of Cr or Co leaching into the human whole blood from the needles during blood collection. We analyzed blood collected from 100 donors and blood collected in-vitro in the laboratory from designated vessel containing spiked blood with higher levels of Cr and Co. Two blood tubes were consecutively collected through one needle. In both studies, Cr and Co concentration levels in the two consecutively collected tubes were compared. Based on the results from donor and in-vitro blood collection studies, we concluded there was no Cr and Co leaching from the limited sets of stainless steel needles used in these studies. Further, we demonstrated that Cr and Co human whole blood samples are stable for one year stored at temperatures of −70 °C, −20 °C, and 4 °C, and six months at room temperature.

中文翻译：

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分析全血中Cr和Co水平的分析前因素的重要性：污染控制，正确的样品采集和长期储存稳定性。

可能在分析过程中的各个位置引入许多可能会带来重大后果的错误，这些错误会导致错误的分析结果。诸如污染控制之类的预防性程序，遵循已建立的样品采集规程以及对目标元素的长期稳定性的完全理解可以最大限度地减少或消除这些错误。污染控制对于定量人体全血中的Cr和Co至关重要。大多数生物样品中的Cr和Co含量很低，但是这些元素自然存在于环境中，并且经常出现在商业和消费产品中，这增加了污染的风险。在本文中，我们演示了批次筛选过程，在该过程中，我们预先筛选了用于收集，分析，存储血样是控制铬和钴污染的关键步骤。不锈钢针通常用于血液采集，但被认为是将金属污染引入患者样本的潜在来源。我们进行了两项研究，以确定在采血过程中铬或钴是否有可能从针头渗入人体全血。我们分析了从100个捐献者那里收集的血液，并在实验室中从指定容器中体外收集了血液，其中指定的容器中含有大量具有较高Cr和Co含量的加标血液。通过一根针头连续收集两根血管。在两项研究中，比较了两个连续收集的试管中的Cr和Co浓度水平。根据供体和体外血液收集研究的结果，我们得出的结论是，在这些研究中使用的有限数量的不锈钢针没有铬和钴的浸出。此外，我们证明了Cr和Co人体全血样品在-70°C，-20°C和4°C的温度下可以保存一年，在室温下可以保存六个月。