How to Interpret Lab Tests for Mercury Levels

Lab tests for mercury levels are notoriously tricky to interpret. This is because they do not provide the full picture needed for treatment. Lab tests cannot determine when or how often you were exposed. Since mercury is naturally excreted from the body, the tests may also provide a less-than-accurate portrait of how high your mercury levels are over a period of time. With your doctor, examine your typical lifestyle habits along with the lab tests to develop a more accurate test result. Always consult with your doctor to properly interpret your lab test results.

Instructions

• 1

  Review your lab report. While the exact layout may vary from lab to lab, in general it will list the type of specimen tested at the top. You may have had a blood or urine sample taken for a mercury test. Next, you should see three columns labeled "Patient's Results," "Ref. Range" and "Units." Units for mercury are ng/mL, or nanograms per milliliter. The reference range is a range of numbers, written in ng/mL, that indicates an acceptable value for that test. Your results will fall inside that range for a normal test result or outside if you have abnormal levels. Your results are written in ng/mL, such as 1.0 ng/mL. This figure means that you have 1 nanogram per milliliter.

• 2

  Examine the reference range for a mercury blood test, if you had blood drawn. The acceptable range is less than 5 nanograms per milliliter, which is written as 0.0 to 4.9 ng/mL. Look at the column under "Patient's Results." If you have a value that is higher than 4.9 ng/mL, you have a mercury level that is too high. A high value on a blood test means that you were recently exposed to mercury.

• 3

  Check the reference range for a urine test, if you provided a sample of urine. An acceptable number for this test is less than 20.0 nanograms per milliliter, which is written as 0.0 to 19.9 ng/mL. If your test result is within this range, you have a safe level of mercury. If it is higher than 19.9 ng/mL, it means that you have been exposed to mercury on a long-term basis.

• 4

  Discuss with your doctor how you might have been exposed to mercury to avoid future exposure. Lab tests generally cannot determine which type of mercury you have; however, how you became exposed can sometimes reveal this. For example, elemental mercury poisoning occurs when you breathe contaminated air. Inorganic or organic mercury poisoning may occur from skin contact, such as from contact with certain medicines or skin lightening creams. If you eat a great deal of seafood, you may have methylmercury exposure. Determining how you became exposed and avoiding these activities is essential to reducing your mercury levels.