- Screen for or to diagnose heavy metal poisoning in those who may have been acutely or chronically or exposed to one or more heavy metals
- Guide management and treatment of heavy metal poisoning
- Monitor excessive metal concentrations in those who work with various heavy metals; such occupations include construction work, mining, radiator repair shops, and firing ranges.
- Monitor the effectiveness of chelation therapy a treatment to rid the body of high amounts of a heavy metal
As mentioned above, your healthcare practitioner may order the metals panel that corresponds to your occupation, hobby, suspected exposure, and/or clinical symptoms. Alternatively, if your healthcare practitioner suspects that you have been exposed to a specific metal, such as lead, your practitioner may order that specific test instead of, or in addition to, a panel. Lead is usually ordered by itself when screening for exposure, especially in children because of how susceptible they are to its effects. If clinically indicated, additional testing to aid in diagnosis may be desired including but not limited to kidney and liver function test, X-rays and electrocardiograms.
Q: When is it ordered?
A:A heavy metals panel may be ordered when you have signs and symptoms and/or your healthcare practitioner suspects that you have been acutely or chronically exposed to one or more heavy metals. It may be ordered periodically when you are treated for heavy metal poisoning.
Signs and symptoms of heavy metal exposure will vary in type and severity depending on the type and quantity of metal involved. Early symptoms of poisoning can be missed because they are often non-specific. Excessive exposure and damage to several different organs can occur even if you have no, few, or nonspecific symptoms. Some signs and symptoms of metal poisoning may include:
- Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Nervous system symptoms such as numbness, tingling of hands and feet, weakness
- Anemia
- Kidney damage
- Liver damage
- In the lungs – irritation, fluid accumulation (edema)
- Brain dysfunction, memory loss
- Mees lines (horizontal lines on nails)
- Changes in behavior
- Malformed bones in children, weakened bones
- Developmental delays in children
- In pregnant women – miscarriage, premature labor
You may also be monitored periodically when you may be exposed to metals in the workplace. Frequency of monitoring will depend on level of initial exposure, presence or absence of ongoing exposure, and current intervention. Safety measures minimize risk to employees and help address problems when they are identified.
Q: How is someone exposed to toxic metals?
A:Heavy metals can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled, or by eating or drinking contaminated food or liquids. You can be poisoned when the metals displace the essential elements in the body and begin to affect the normal function of various organs. Most people will never be sufficiently exposed to be harmed or require testing.
The majority of short-term and long-term exposures occur in the workplace, especially in industries that use metals to manufacture products; such as the cadmium, lead, and mercury used in batteries and the arsenic used in some pesticides. Exposures can also occur in agricultural workers, in people whose job it is to clean up contaminated environmental sites, in those who work with certain products such as auto mechanics working with car batteries, and in those with hobbies that involve the use of metals such as the lead used by stained glass artisans.
Pregnant women at risk of metal toxicity such as lead can pass metals to their developing babies (fetuses). This is because lead is able to cross the placenta. Also, lead can be passed to infants through breast milk. When mothers should and should not to breastfeed will depend on blood levels
Most exposures to excessive concentrations in the general population are primarily due to increased levels of metals in food or water, products that they use, or soil contamination in or near the areas that they work and live.