SAMPLE HANDLING AND CONTAINMENT IN ANALYTICAL TESTING LABORATORIES

SAMPLE HANDLING AND CONTAINMENT IN ANALYTICAL TESTING LABORATORIES 

DAVID PATTAVINA, NANCY SAGE, and BEVERLY NICKERSON 

Pfizer Global Research Development, Groton and New London Laboratories, Pfizer, Inc., Groton, CT 06340 

Formulation and Analytical Development for Low-Dose Oral Drug Products. Edited by Jack Zheng Copyright 2009 John Wiley Sons, Inc. 

Inhalation and direct skin contact are the most common routes of chemical exposure. The greatest exposure risk in handling potent compounds in an analytical laboratory therefore occurs when handling solid materials due to the potential to generate and inhale airborne dust particles of the compound. Once the potent material has been placed into solution, the airborne exposure risk is reduced and solutions of potent compounds may be handled in a manner similar to other nonpotent pharmaceutical compounds, assuming good laboratory practices are followed. Caution should be taken not to aerosolize the solutions since this could create an inhalation hazard. In addition, any sample solution spills should be adequately cleaned to prevent powder deposits of the compound from forming, which could potentially become airborne after the liquid has dried. 

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These general strategies can be used whether sample handling is performed in a standard analytical laboratory or in a containment laboratory. Considerations for these two different types of laboratories are discussed below. Furthermore, the use of automation to prepare samples for analytical testing in a contained environment is another option to reduce potential worker exposure to potent compounds. This option, however, can be cost-prohibitive and therefore is not discussed in this chapter. 

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