Which statement best describes the chain of custody for test articles?

• A. A checklist for sample labeling on the day of collection.
• B. Documentation showing receipt, handling, storage, transfer, and use, ensuring traceability and accountability.
• C. A description of the study's statistical methods.
• D. A record of environmental conditions.

Answer: (B)

The chain of custody is the documented, unbroken trail showing who has handled a test article, what was done with it, and where it has been stored—from collection through analysis to final disposition. This record ensures traceability and accountability, so every receipt, handling step, storage condition, transfer, and use is recorded and verifiable. Keeping this continuous documentation preserves sample integrity and makes the results defensible in audits or investigations.

The option that describes this full, traceable sequence best matches the concept. Other options touch on related ideas but don’t capture the complete path of custody: a labeling checklist covers only labeling on collection day, a description of statistical methods is unrelated to sample handling, and while environmental conditions can be part of the process, they don’t by themselves define the entire chain of custody.