Comprehensive Blood & Urine Toxic Metals (with Nickel) Panel

Our lab tests are currently available only in the United States. 

If you’re located outside the U.S., please email ashleyc@nutritiondetective.com with any questions.

Our blood testing is done only through LabCorp. We will email you a blood work order to print out.

What’s Included:

• Heavy Metals Profile II, Whole Blood (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury)

• Heavy Metals Profile II, Urine (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury)

• Nickel, Urine

• Copper, Urine

A broad metals panel for people concerned about toxic, occupational, environmental, or implant-related metal exposure.

This panel looks at several metals using both blood and urine testing. The blood testing looks for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, while the urine testing looks for arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and nickel.

Who should consider this panel?

This panel may be useful if you have:

• Occupational metal exposure

• Welding or metalworking exposure

• Industrial exposure

• Contaminated food or water concerns

• Metal implants

• Unusual environmental exposures

• Previously elevated metal levels

Possible associated symptoms

Depending on the metal and level of exposure, symptoms may include:

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Cognitive changes

• Numbness or tingling

• Digestive problems

• Kidney problems

• Weakness

• Tremor

• Anemia

What can this panel help investigate?

Exposure to lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and abnormal copper exposure or excretion.

Before the Blood Draw:

Fasting: Not required.

Best time of day: No specific time is required.

Menstrual Cycle Timing: No specific cycle day is required.

Food Restrictions: Avoid seafood and red wine for 72 hours before collection. Diet: Otherwise, maintain your usual diet (food + beverages/hydration) in the days leading up to testing.

Supplements: You may take your morning supplements after the blood draw. Pay attention to the urine collection guidelines if that 24-hour period overlaps with your blood draw!

Exposures: Tell us about recent mineral supplements and products containing copper, chromium, nickel, or other metals. Also tell us about occupational exposures, metal implants, recent contrast agents, chelation treatment, or other unusual metal exposures that you are aware of.

For the Urine Collection:

24-hour urine collection: Empty your bladder at the start of the collection period and discard that urine. Then collect all urine for the next 24 hours, including the final urine produced at the same time the following day. Follow the collection container and storage instructions provided by Labcorp. Record the exact 24-hour urine volume as instructed.

Important: Use the provided plastic collection container and avoid contact between the urine and metal. This is not a provoked urine test using a chelating agent.

Supplements: Stop all toxin-binding supplements (zeolite, charcoal, modified citrus pectin, alginates, etc.) for 24 hours prior to, and for the entire duration of, the urine collection process.