ARUP's Laboratory Test Directory

Arsenic, Blood : 0099045

Mnemonic: ARS B

Methodology: Quantitative Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry
Performed: Mon-Sat
Reported: 1-3 days
Specimen Required: Patient Prep: Diet, medication, and nutritional supplements may introduce interfering substances. Patient should be encouraged to discontinue nutritional supplements, vitamins, minerals, and non-essential over-the-counter medications (upon the advice of their physician) and avoid shellfish and seafood for 48 to 72 hours.

Collect: Royal blue (K2EDTA or Na2EDTA).

Specimen Preparation: Transport 7 mL whole blood in the original collection tube. (Min: 0.5 mL)

Storage/Transport Temperature: Room temperature. Also acceptable: Refrigerated.

Unacceptable Conditions: Heparin anticoagulant. Frozen specimens.

Stability (collection to initiation of testing): If the specimen is drawn and stored in the appropriate container, the trace element values do not change with time.
Reference Interval:
0.0-13.0 µg/L
Interpretive Data: Potentially toxic ranges for blood arsenic:  greater than or equal to 600 µg/L.

Blood arsenic is for the detection of recent exposure poisoning only.  Blood arsenic levels in healthy subjects vary considerably with exposure to arsenic in the diet and the environment.  A 24-hour urine arsenic is useful for the detection of chronic exposure.
Note: Elevated results from noncertified trace element-free collection tubes may be due to contamination.  Elevated concentrations of trace elements in blood should be confirmed with a second specimen collected in a tube designed for trace element determinations, such as a royal blue (Na2EDTA) tube.
CPT Code(s): 82175
Cross References: As (Arsenic, Blood), ASB (Arsenic, Blood)