Test ID: HGHAR
Mercury, Hair
Secondary ID 
A test code used for billing and in test definitions created prior to November 2011
NY State Approved Indicates the status of NY State approval and if the test is orderable for NY State clients.
Useful For Suggests clinical disorders or settings where the test may be helpful
Detecting mercury exposure
Special Instructions and Forms Describes specimen collection and preparation information, test algorithms, and other information pertinent to test. Also includes pertinent information and consent forms to be used when requesting a particular test
Method Name A short description of the method used to perform the test
Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
Reporting Name A shorter/abbreviated version of the Published Name for a test; an abbreviated test name
Aliases Lists additional common names for a test, as an aid in searching
Mercury (Hg)
Specimen Type Describes the specimen type needed for testing
Specimen Required Defines the optimal specimen. This field describes the type of specimen required to perform the test and the preferred volume to complete testing. The volume allows automated processing, fastest throughput and, when indicated, repeat or reflex testing.
Container/Tube: Hair and Nails Collection Kit (Supply T565)
Specimen Volume: 0.5 g
Collection Instructions:
1. Prepare and transport specimen per the instructions in the kit or see Hair and Nails Instruction Sheet for Metals Testing in Special Instructions.
2. At least 0.5 g of hair. Typically, this is a sample of hair comprised of strands 1 cm long and enough strands to be 0.5 cm in diameter when gathered together.
Additional Information: If known, indicate source of hair (axillary, head, or pubic).
Specimen Minimum Volume Defines the amount of specimen required to perform an assay once, including instrument and container dead space. Submitting the minimum specimen volume makes it impossible to repeat the test or perform confirmatory or perform reflex testing. In some situations, a minimum specimen volume may result in a QNS (quantity not sufficient) result, requiring a second specimen to be collected.
Reject Due To Identifies specimen types and conditions that may cause the specimen to be rejected
| Hemolysis | NA |
| Lipemia | NA |
| Icterus | NA |
| Other | NA |
Specimen Stability Information Provides a description of the temperatures required to transport a specimen to the laboratory. Alternate acceptable temperature(s) are also included.
| Specimen Type | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Hair | Ambient (preferred) | |
| Frozen | ||
| Refrigerated | ||
Clinical Information Discusses physiology, pathophysiology, and general clinical aspects, as they relate to a laboratory test
Once absorbed and circulating, mercury becomes bound to numerous proteins, including keratin. The concentration of mercury in hair correlates with the severity of clinical symptoms. If the hair can be segregated by length, such an exercise can be useful in identifying the time of exposure.
Reference Values Describes reference intervals and additional information for interpretation of test results. May include intervals based on age and sex when appropriate. Intervals are Mayo-derived, unless otherwise designated. If an interpretive report is provided, the reference value field will state this.
0-15 years: not established
> or =16 years: 0.0-0.9 mcg/g of hair
Interpretation Provides information to assist in interpretation of the test results
Normally, hair contains <1 mcg/g mercury; any amount more than this indicates that exposure to more than normal amounts of mercury has occurred.
Clinical Reference Provides recommendations for further in-depth reading of a clinical nature
1. Marques R, Do’rea J, Bastos W, and Malm O. Changes in children hair-Hg concentrations during the first 5 years: Maternal, environmental and iatrogenic modifying factors. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 2007;49:17–24
2. Canuel R, de Grosbois S, Atikesse L, and Lucotte M. New Evidence on Variations of Human Body Burden of Methylmercury from Fish Consumption. Environ Health Perspect 2006;114:302–306
Method Description Describes how the test is performed and provides a method-specific reference
The specimen is digested in acid and analyzed on an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Aqueous acidic calibrating standards and blanks are diluted with an aqueous acidic diluent containing internal standard(s). Quality control specimens and patient samples are also 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 quadrapole mass spectrometer. The mass range from 1 amu 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 versus 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 1999;54:1141-1153)
Day(s) and Time(s) Test Performed Outlines the days and times the test is performed. This field reflects the day and time the sample must be in the testing laboratory to begin the testing process and includes any specimen preparation and processing time required before the test is performed. Some tests are listed as continuously performed, which means assays are performed several times during the day.
Tuesday, Friday; 5 p.m.
Analytic Time Defines the amount of time it takes the laboratory to setup and perform the test. This is defined in number of days. The shortest interval of time expressed is "same day/1 day," which means the results may be available the same day that the sample is received in the testing laboratory. One day means results are available 1 day after the sample is received in the laboratory.
Maximum Laboratory Time Defines the maximum time from specimen receipt at Mayo Medical Laboratories until the release of the test result
Specimen Retention Time Outlines the length of time after testing that a specimen is kept in the laboratory before it is discarded
Performing Laboratory Location The location of the laboratory that performs the test
Test Classification Provides information regarding the medical device classification for laboratory test kits and reagents. Tests may be classified as cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and used per manufacturer's instructions, or as products that do not undergo full FDA review and approval, and are then labeled as an Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR), Investigation Use Only (IUO) product, or a Research Use Only (RUO) product.
CPT Code Information Provides guidance in determining the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code(s) information for each test or profile. The listed CPT codes reflect Mayo Medical Laboratories interpretation of CPT coding requirements. It is the responsibility of each laboratory to determine correct CPT codes to use for billing.
83825
LOINC® Code Information Provides guidance in determining the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC) values for the result codes returned for this test or profile.
| Result ID | Reporting Name | LOINC Code |
|---|---|---|
| 31900 | Mercury, Hair | 5686-1 |
| HGHSC | Specimen Source | 31208-2 |
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