I had another blood draw today for my GD test and it made me curious- what happens to the blood after the lab tests it? How is it disposed?
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Lab worker.
Depends on the department. Some keep for 7 days (biochemistry, immunology, haematology) others keep for >2 years (virology).
Upon receipt it’s labelled and then centrifuge so the serum is separated. After testing, it is then stored in a fridge.
For samples kept for 2 years, a small aliquot (split off) is taken; the original tube is kept for 4 weeks in the fridge and the aliquot is kept in the freezer for two years.
Once the time is up, for it to be kept, it is then either incinerated on site or put in clinical waste bags and sent to an external incinerator.
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