Under Packing Instructions 620 and 650, what is the maximum preservative volume allowed with infectious substances?

Under Packing Instructions 620 and 650, what is the maximum preservative volume allowed with infectious substances?

• A. 5 mL
• B. 100 mL
• C. 30 mL
• D. 250 mL

Answer: (C)

A key safety rule here is that the amount of preservative you can include with an infectious substance is tightly limited. This cap is in place to keep the total liquid volume inside the primary container within what the packaging system is designed to safely contain, and to reduce the risk if a leak were to occur during transport. Packing Instructions 620 and 650 set this preservative volume as a small, fixed quantity for each primary container, so you can preserve the specimen without pushing the packaging beyond its safe limits. If you use too little, preservation may be inadequate; if you use too much, you risk exceeding the allowed liquid content and compromising containment and regulatory compliance.