What does the Urinary Arsenic test measure?

Why is Urinary Arsenic measured?

Urinary arsenic is the screening test for recent inorganic exposure. Speciation distinguishes toxic inorganic forms from benign seafood arsenic. Chronic inorganic arsenic is a carcinogen (skin, bladder, lung) and raises cardiovascular risk; acute high-level exposure causes gastrointestinal and neurological toxicity.

Reference ranges

Standard reference

Laboratory-specific; total arsenic typically <50 μg/g creatinine; inorganic plus metabolite fraction <10 μg/g creatinine.

Functional medicine optimal

Inorganic arsenic plus metabolites ideally <7–10 μg/g creatinine; total arsenic alone should be interpreted with dietary history.

Units

µg/g creatinine, µmol/mol creatinine, μg/g creatinine

Reference ranges vary by laboratory and assay platform. Interpret in context of the issuing laboratory's stated range.