Chemical Threat Response

Utah Public Health Laboratory

The Chemical Threat Response Laboratory (Utah’s Laboratory Response Network or LRN) at the Utah Public Health Laboratory has a dual focus:

To work with hospitals, local health departments, law enforcement and other partners to provide accurate and rapid identification of chemicals from environmental and clinical sources that are either naturally occurring, can be used as a weapon of mass destruction, or new and emerging threats. To provide training and outreach to many different partners.

The Chemical Threat Response Laboratory works with physicians, clinicians, hospitals, laboratories, and poison control to provide quantitative testing for the following chemicals:

Abrine
Ricinine
Heavy Metals
Nerve Agent Metabolites
Volatile Organic Compounds
Tetramine
Opioids
Cyanide 
 

This testing is done using the following technologies:

  • HPLC/MS
  • GC/MS
  • ICP-MS

Laboratory Analysis

Clinical samples are analyzed by methods under compliance with the Clinical Laboratories Improvement Amendment (CLIA). Further information regarding the method and sample analysis are listed in the table below:
Agent/Chemical Matrix Instrument/Detection Preferred Collection Time
Abrine and Ricinine Urine LC-MS/MS Within 48 hours of exposure
Creatinine Urine LC-MS/MS Within 48 hours of exposure
Cyanide Blood GC-MS ASAP after exposure
Metals in Blood (Hg, Pb, Cd) Blood ICP-MS or ICP-QQQ Within 48 hours of exposure
Metals in Urine (As, Ba, Be, Cd, Hg, Pb, Tl, U) Urine ICP-MS or ICP-QQQ Within 48 hours of exposure
Nerve Agents (Metabolites of sarin, soman, VX, cyclohexylsarin, Russian VX) Urine and Serum LC-MS/MS Within 48 hours of exposure
Tetramine Urine GC-MS Within 48 hours of exposure
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Serum GC-MS ASAP after exposure

Sample Collection and Shipment

Please call the laboratory before submitting any samples for analysis.

For Blood Samples, specimens are collected in 4-mL of larger non-gel vacuum-fill (vacutainer) blood tubes containing Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as the anticoagulant agent (purple-top) and 4-mL or larger heparin (green-or-gray top). Ideally, per patient collect 3 purple-top and 1 green-or-gray top. Also include 2 empty, unused tubes per lot of the purple-top and green-or-gray top. Refrigerate blood samples at 5 ± 3 °C until submitted to the UPHL laboratory. DO NOT FREEZE. 

For Urine Samples, specimens are collected in a screw-cap plastic urine cup with a volume of 50+ mL. Ideally, per patient collect 1 urine cup. Also include 2 empty, unused urine cups per lot. Freeze sample as soon as possible or store on dry ice until submitted to the UPHL laboratory. 

Each sample must be accompanied by a properly completed Chemical Threats Lab Clinical Sample Request Form and Chemical Threats Lab Sample Chain of Custody Form.

Contact Us

If testing for any of the above listed agents/diseases is needed, please contact the lab for assistance at 801-971-3083.

The Chemical Threat Response Lab is staffed (on-call) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.

Please Call:
801-971-3083

Helpful Information