$19.00
Priced per marker, with baseline labs included. You’ll see your total before you pay.
Heavy metals
Mercury test
Toxic metal from fish consumption and dental amalgams; methylmercury crosses the placenta.
At a glance
In about 5 days
Most results are ready in about 5 days. Some specialty markers can take up to 21 days.
Check before your draw
This marker has no preparation tag, but it can still need preparation. Contact us before your draw if you’re not sure.
Walk in at Quest
Your lab order arrives by email. Most Quest locations take walk-ins, so bring it with a photo ID.
What it measures
Mercury in the blood mostly comes from eating fish, especially large fish that eat other fish. The level can mainly reflect your recent exposure.
Why it matters for women
Mercury can pass to a baby during pregnancy and through breast milk, and it can affect how the brain and nerves develop. That’s why fish advice for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy focuses on lower-mercury choices. Some imported skin-lightening and beauty creams have also been found to contain mercury.
You might check it if…
- you often eat swordfish, shark, king mackerel or bigeye tuna
- you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy
- you use imported skin-lightening or anti-aging creams
- a doctor suggested checking for metal exposure
What your result may mean
High Mercury: what it may mean
High blood mercury may mean recent exposure, most of it from eating large predatory fish such as tuna and swordfish. Dental amalgams and industrial sources can add to it, and some imported skin-lightening creams can contain mercury. Fish meals in the weeks before the test can raise the result. Mercury can cross the placenta and pass into breast milk, and it can affect how a baby's brain and nerves develop. Some people may notice numbness or tingling, shaky hands, trouble sleeping, or memory and mood changes, while others may have no symptoms.
Low Mercury: what it may mean
Low blood mercury may be the baseline you want, and it can fit with eating little of the larger, higher-mercury fish. The body has no use for mercury, so a low value may not be a concern. Blood can pick up the form found in fish better than mercury vapor or some workplace forms, so a urine test may be used if those exposures are a question. A low result can also miss older exposure, because mercury can clear from the blood over weeks to months.
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These notes provide context and do not diagnose a condition. Not yet available in NY, NJ, RI, HI, ND, SD or WV.