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Lead Poisoning / Trace Elements Laboratory

Lead Poisoning / Trace Elements

Urine Lead

Urine Collection Kit
Urine Collection Kit
Urine Collection
Urine Collection

Determining Lead in Urine

In the past, the primary purpose of determining lead levels in urine was to assess total lead excretion over a fixed period, usually 8 hours, as a function of the dose of calcium disodium ethylenedramine tetracetic acid (CaNa2EDTA)given. Although using the lead mobilization or "provocation" test has decreased in recent years and demand for testing urinary lead levels has dropped, laboratories continue to receive specimens for analysis. Tests for lead levels on non-timed or "spot" urine specimens are considered to have little clinical value but are still used to monitor workers occupationally exposed to organolead compounds. Some guidance and recommendations for determining the level of lead in urine is provided below.

Recommended Procedure for Collecting Urine Samples

Collecting urine for a provocation test is almost always performed on an inpatient basis, and with very young children some additional difficulties occur in ensuring that the entire 8-hour specimen is collected without contamination from exogenous lead. A special commercially-available plastic pouch is taped over the child's genitalia to facilitate urine collection. However, it is the responsibility of the laboratory providing the analysis to ensure that all materials used to collect and transport urine specimens are lead-free.

Methdology

Although the method was intended primarily for use in the routine analysis of capillary and venous blood specimens received from childhood lead screening programs, it can also be used unmodified for the determination of lead in urine (1,2).

References

  1. Parsons PJ, Slavin W. Electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry for the determination of lead in urine: results of an interlaboratory study. Spectrochim Acta, Part B (1999) 54: 853-864.
  2. Flajnik CE, Shrader D. Determination of lead in urine by GFAAS-Deuterium and Zeeman Background Correction. Varian AA Technical Note(1993) June: 1-4.

Proficiency Testing

Currently, only the "Quebec Intercomparison Program for Trace Elements" and the "UK TEQAS" offer performance evaluations specific for urine lead.

Reprints

To obtain reprints of articles authored by the Lead Poisoning/Trace Elements Laboratory go to Reprint Request Form