Mercury in urine leaking amalgam fillings

The test measures the amount of mercury in blood or urine.

The body does not need mercury and the amount in blood or urine is low. Mercury occurs in very low amounts in our environment and we take it in through inhalation, through the skin or with eating, for example, fish, which contains relatively high levels of heavy metals including mercury. Normally, mercury absorption from the environment is so low that it does not cause any damage to health. However, acute (short, large amount) or chronic (long, low amount) exposure to mercury can lead to mercury poisoning and serious health problems.

Symptoms of acute poisoning include:

• Burning sensation in mouth and lungs
• coughing, difficulty breathing and heavy feeling in the chest
• urinate less
• nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
• accelerated heartbeat.
• Symptoms of chronic poisoning include:
• kidney problems
• problems with hearing, taste and smell
• poor vision, or tunnel vision
• tingling or trembling of arms and legs
• difficulty walking
• irritability.

People who come into contact with mercury because of their work should be examined regularly.

What do the results mean?

Portion of urine: if the result is less than 3.0 g/l, the result is good.
Crea: 4.0 ug/g

Assessment mercury is used in dentistry (amalgam fillings), disinfectants and preservatives, thermometers, batteries, fluorescent tubes.

Acute intoxication: metallic taste, kidney damage, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, stomatitis, esophagitis Chronic intoxication: fatigue, headache, dizziness, loss of appetite, and gingivitis, CNS symptoms, recurrent infections, joint pain, hair loss.

Normal

A normal mercury value means that someone, at least during the period of testing, has not been exposed to too much mercury.

Increased

An increased mercury value means that someone has been exposed to too much mercury. However, the height does not show how much mercury a person has been exposed to. Acute mercury poisoning is treated by having the patient drink lots of water and vomit or empty the stomach.

Lowered

A reduced mercury concentration is not a problem. This is because the body does not need mercury.

Conversion factor microg/g creatinine x 0.5639 = nmol/mmol creatinine

Reference Value(s)
Non-professional exposure: 3 microg/g creatinine ( 1.69 nmol/mmol creat.)
Professional exposure: 50 microg/g creatinine ( 28.2 nmol/mmol creat.)