One 4 mL lavender top tube (EDTA) or green top tube (heparin). Also acceptable: 7.5 mL royal blue top tube (EDTA).
Handling:
Wrap specimen with foil to protect from light. Refrigerate.
Stability:
Specimen stable 24 hours ambient and unprotected from light or 7 days refrigerated and protected from light. Unstable frozen.
Standard Volume:
4 mL whole blood.
Minimum Volume:
1 mL whole blood.
Transport:
Refrigerated.
Comments:
Zinc Protoporphyrin is elevated in lead poisoning, iron deficiency, and some porphyrias. The CDC currently recommends direct blood lead levels for lead exposure screening, see Lead (Pb), Quantitative (43630).