Considerations in the design of an environmental specimen bank: experiences of the National Biomonitoring Specimen Bank Program.

Since 1979 the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been involved in environmental specimen banking activities as part of the National Biomonitoring Specimen Bank (NBSB). These activities have focused on the development of procedures for the collection, processing, analysis, and long-term storage of a variety of environmental specimens including: human liver, mussels and oysters, fish tissue (liver and muscle), marine mammal tissues (blubber, liver, and kidney), and marine sediments. The experiences of the NBSB can provide valuable information to assist in the design of new specimen bank efforts. Based on the experiences of the NBSB, the issues that should be addressed in the design and operation of a valid specimen bank program are presented.