A toxic metal measured to assess environmental or dietary exposure.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element found in soil, water and some foods, especially seafood and rice. The body has no need for it, and healthy people normally carry only very low amounts in the blood.
This test measures arsenic in whole blood by ICP-MS. It is a trace-element and toxicology test that reflects recent exposure, used to investigate suspected poisoning or unusual exposure.
Blood arsenic reflects recent intake, because the body clears it within days. The test matters when exposure is suspected from contaminated water, occupational sources or large amounts of certain foods.
A raised level needs medical context rather than alarm. Harmless organic arsenic from seafood can raise total blood arsenic without indicating toxicity, so interpretation, and sometimes speciation testing, is done by a clinician.
Aniva reads your result against research-backed ranges, not just the lab's wide normal. The reference shown below is specific to this biomarker.
| Measure | Adult guidance (SI) |
|---|---|
| Arsenic, whole blood | Below about 0.13 µmol/L |
Arsenic is normally very low. Recent seafood can raise total arsenic harmlessly. Ranges vary by lab and method. Cite your laboratory's reference interval.
Recent seafood is the main confounder and can raise total arsenic without any toxicity. Blood reflects only recent exposure, since arsenic clears quickly. Contamination from non-metal-free tubes can falsely elevate results. Interpretation needs clinical context.
Read with kidney function and, when elevated, arsenic speciation to separate harmless organic forms from toxic inorganic arsenic. Urine arsenic may be added.
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