Test Code MERCURY U Mercury, 24 Hour, Urine
Reporting Name
Mercury, 24 Hr, UUseful For
Detecting mercury toxicity
Specimen Required
Collection Container/Tube: Clean, plastic urine container with no metal cap or glued insert
Submission Container/Tube: Plastic, 10-mL urine tube (T068) or a clean, plastic aliquot container with no metal cap or glued insert
Specimen Volume: 10 mL
Collection Instructions:
1. Collect urine for 24 hours.
2. Refrigerate specimen within 4 hours of completion of 24-hour collection.
3. See Trace Metals Analysis Specimen Collection and Transport in Special Instructions for complete instructions.
Additional Information:
1. 24-Hour volume is required.
2. See Urine Preservatives in Special Instructions for multiple collections.
3. High concentrations of gadolinium and iodine are known to interfere with most metals tests. If either gadolinium- or iodine-containing contrast media has been administered, a specimen should not be collected for 96 hours.
Specimen Type
UrineSpecimen Minimum Volume
2 mL
Specimen Stability Information
Specimen Type | Temperature | Time |
---|---|---|
Urine | Refrigerated (preferred) | 7 days |
Frozen | 7 days |
Day(s) and Time(s) Performed
Monday through Friday; 7 p.m., Saturday; 2 p.m.
Performing Laboratory

Method Name
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
Method Description
This assay is performed on an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. Calibrating standards and blanks are diluted with an aqueous acidic diluent containing internal standard(s). Quality control specimens and patient samples are diluted in an identical manner. In turn, all diluted blanks, calibrating standards, quality control specimens and patient specimens are aspirated into a pneumatic nebulizer and the resulting aerosol directed to the hot plasma discharge by a flow of argon. In the annular plasma the aerosol is vaporized, atomized, then ionized. The ionized gases plus neutral species formed in the annular plasma space are aspirated from the plasma through an orifice into a quadrupole mass spectrometer. The mass range from 1 to 263 amu is rapidly scanned multiple times and ion counts tabulated for each mass of interest. Instrument response is defined by the linear relationship of analyte concentration vs. ion count ratio (analyte ion count/internal standard ion count). Analyte concentrations are derived by reading the ion count ratio for each mass of interest and determining the concentration from the response line.(Nixon DE, Burritt MF, Moyer TP: The determination of mercury in whole blood and urine by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Spectrochimica Acta, Part B-Atomic Spectroscopy 1999;54:1141-1153; Hanley MM, Eckdahl SJ, Kiedrowski B, et al: A comparison of methods for attenuation of oxide interferences in cadmium and mercury analysis by ICP-MS [Abstract 627]. 38th Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies, Reno, NV, October 2-6, 2011)
Reference Values
0-15 years: not established
≥16 years: 0-9 mcg/specimen
Toxic concentration: >50 mcg/specimen
The concentration at which toxicity is expressed is widely variable between patients. 50 mcg/specimen is the lowest concentration at which toxicity is usually apparent.
Test Classification
This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by Mayo Clinic in a manner consistent with CLIA requirements. This test has not been cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.CPT Code Information
83825
LOINC Code Information
Test ID | Test Order Name | Order LOINC Value |
---|---|---|
HGU | Mercury, 24 Hr, U | 6693-6 |
Result ID | Test Result Name | Result LOINC Value |
---|---|---|
8592 | Mercury, 24 Hr, U | 6693-6 |
TM5 | Collection Duration | 13362-9 |
VL3 | Urine Volume | 3167-4 |
856 | Hg Concentration | 21383-5 |
Reject Due To
Hemolysis |
NA |
Lipemia |
NA |
Icterus |
NA |
Other |
NA |