Since signing on May 16, 2008, a contract with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST; Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA) to revise Official Method^SM 2006.04 (published as ASTM E2458-06, and as a national sampling standard for collecting, packaging, and transporting visible powder samples suspected of being biological agents), AOAC has established two focus groups—Responders and Public Health--that are directly affected by the revision of the standard. The focus groups have determined that the sample collection standard is not flawed as was expected, but that additional guidance is needed to support it.

In conjunction with the 3rd National Conference on Environmental Sampling and Detection of Biothreat Agents in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, in early December, the Responders and Public Health (including representatives from the Laboratory Response Network) Focus Groups, as well as additional key representatives from other organizations, including the FBI, CDC, NIST, and OSHA, convened to discuss and identify key concerns to revising ASTM E2458-06, Standard Practices for Bulk Sample Collection and Swab Sample Collection of Visible Powders Suspected of Being Biological Agents from Nonporous Surfaces.

In implementing the standard, it was previously determined that a need exists for additional review and input from responders and trainers of responders, public health, and law enforcement agencies to better meet their needs. After review of the sampling standard by stakeholders from the two inter-related communities, however, it was determined that the standard was not flawed as was expected. Instead, stakeholders indicated that the lack of sufficient guidance to support the sample collection was a problem. The communities agreed that a standard method for powder collection was not complete without the guidance to support the decision to collect a sample. Guidance to handle the cascade of events resulting from the decision to sample was also not available. These events include screening to protect the laboratory, methods of communication at all levels (local, state, and federal), and response measures. Currently, NIST and AOAC are evaluating mechanisms at both ASTM and AOAC to develop the requested guidance to support and revise the standard.

In revising the standard, AOAC and NIST are currently collecting, compiling, and addressing comments from stakeholders, especially those from the responders and public health agencies, which would improve the current standard. As part of the revision, it is being decided how to best include the general guidance information (as annexes or appendices to the standard or as a separate guidance document) requested by the focus groups. As of press time, the standard (to address comments and guidance information requested by stakeholders) is scheduled to be reviewed on January 21, 2009, by the Sampling Standard Task Group (SSTG), which was formed in 2006 and developed the original validated national standard for the sampling of suspicious powders that was approved by AOAC and ASTM. The final report will be reviewed by the AOAC Methods Committee on Biological Threat Agents and ASTM for approval.

For more information on the SSTG meeting, contact Arlene Fox, Senior Director of Proficiency Testing, at afox@aoac.org or Tel: +1-301-924-7077 ext. 143. Full coverage of the latest on the NIST sampling initiative will be included in the January/February issue of Inside Laboratory Management.

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