Mercury, Urine 24 Hour
Test Mnemonic
UMERC3
CPT Codes
- 83825 - QTY (1)
Aliases
- Hg, Urine 24 Hour
Performing Laboratory
ARUP
Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 mL | Urine, 24-hour (well-mixed) | Clean container | Refrigerate during collection. | Refrigerated | HEAVY METALS FORM REQUIRED to meet State Health Department requirements. Patient Prep: Diet, medication, and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patients should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and non-essential over-the-counter medications upon the advice of their physician, and avoid shellfish and seafood for 48 to 72 hours. High concentrations of iodine may interfere with elemental testing. Collection of urine specimens from patients receiving iodinated or gadolinium-based contrast media should be avoided for a minimum of 72 hours post-exposure. Collection from patients with impaired kidney function should be avoided for a minimum of 14 days post-contrast media exposure. Must collect in a plastic container, then aliquot into a trace metal-free transport tube (ARUP #43116). |
Alternate Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 mL | Urine, random | Clean container | Refrigerated | HEAVY METALS FORM REQUIRED to meet State Health Department requirements. Patient Prep: Diet, medication, and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patients should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and non-essential over-the-counter medications upon the advice of their physician, and avoid shellfish and seafood for 48 to 72 hours. High concentrations of iodine may interfere with elemental testing. Collection of urine specimens from patients receiving iodinated or gadolinium-based contrast media should be avoided for a minimum of 72 hours post-exposure. Collection from patients with impaired kidney function should be avoided for a minimum of 14 days post-contrast media exposure. Must collect in a plastic container, then aliquot into a trace metal-free transport tube (ARUP #43116). |
Minimum Specimen Requirements
| Volume | Type | Container | Collect Temperature | Transport Temperature | Special Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL |
Stability
| Environmental Condition | Description |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated | 2 weeks |
| Ambient | 1 week |
| Frozen | 1 year |
Days Performed
Sun - Sat
Turnaround Time
2 - 6 days
Methodology
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Inductively Coupled Plasma / Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) |
Reference Range
| Mercury, Urine per 24 hours | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Normal | 0.0 - 20.0 | ug/d | |||
| Mercury, Urine per volume | |||||
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Normal | 0.0 - 5.0 | ug/L | |||
| Mercury, Urine ratio to creatinine | |||||
| Sex | Age From | Age To | Type | Range | Range Unit |
| Years | 99 Years | Normal | 0.0 - 20.0 | ug/g crt |
Special Info
Patient demographics (Heavy Metals) form is required to meet State Health Department requirements. Total volume and collection time interval must be indicated. Diet, medication, and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patients should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, non-essential over-the-counter medication (upon the advice of their physician), and avoid shellfish and seafood for 48-72 hours. High concentrations of iodine may interfere with the elemental testing. Collection of urine specimens from patients receiving iodinated or gadolinium-based contrast media should be avoided for a minimum of 72 hours post-exposure. Collection from patients with impaired kidney function should be avoided for a minimum of 14 days post-contrast media exposure. ARUP studies indicate that refrigeration of urine alone, during and after collection, preserves specimen adequately, if tested within 14 days of collection. Urine collected within 72 hours after administration of iodinated or gadolinium-based contrast media and acid preserved samples are unacceptable. Specimens contaminated with blood or fecal material, and specimens transported in non-trace element free transport tubes (with the exception of the original device) are unacceptable. This test is New York DOH approved.
Clinical Info
Urinary mercury levels predominantly reflect acute or chronic elemental or inorganic mercury exposure. Urine concentrations in unexposed individuals are typically less than 10 µg/L. 24 hour urine concentrations of 30 to 100 µg/L may be associated with subclinical neuropsychiatric symptoms and tremor while concentrations greater than 100 µg/L can be associated with overt neuropsychiatric disturbances and tremors. Urine mercury levels may be useful in monitoring chelation therapy.