A Chain of Custody is the documented process used to track a sample from the moment it is collected through transportation, laboratory analysis, and final reporting, ensuring sample integrity throughout the testing process. This documentation records who handled the sample, when the sample changed possession, how the sample was stored or transported, and unique sample identification numbers. Maintaining a verified chain of custody ensures sample integrity and helps laboratories produce defensible analytical results that can be trusted by regulators and businesses. Gaps or inconsistencies in chain of custody documentation can call the validity of test results into question.
