WSLH Toxicology: Mercury Testing

Mercury Testing is offered on whole blood and urine samples. There are three forms of mercury found in the environment: elemental (metallic), inorganic, and organic.

The blood mercury test indicates exposure to all three forms of mercury. The urine mercury test only indicates exposure to elemental and inorganic mercury because organic mercury is not excreted in the urine. A urine mercury test is preferred for detecting elemental (metallic) mercury exposure.

Common sources of mercury exposure are eating fish or shellfish contaminated with methylmercury and breathing elemental mercury vapors.

Specimen Collection

Testing Procedure

Urine mercury samples are mixed with bromine chloride (BrCL) to assure complete oxidation. Following neutralization of the BrCL with Hydroxylamine Hydrochloride (NH2OH-HCL), the samples are reduced with stannous chloride (SnCl2) and the mercury is measured by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry.

Blood mercury samples are diluted and the mercury is measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS).

Links to Other Sites

• Environmental Protection Agency 
• Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry 
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources   
• Wisconsin Fish Consumption Advisories