Many of us know about the dangers of mercury but did you know that mercury testing is not created equal? This is because there are 2 types of mercury and its essential to look for each when doing a test.

Inorganic mercury (HgII) in blood usually reflects a dental amalgam exposure, and urine is a route of excretion for it. Some is generated from the breakdown of methylmercury inside the body. This is the most cytotoxic form of mercury therefore an important pool to track. The urine to blood ratio gives an index of excretion efficiency for inorganic mercury.

Methylmercury (MeHg) reflects seafood consumption, though some also forms in the gut from swallowed amalgam-based mercury. Excretion of methylmercury is reflected in the hair. The hair to blood ratio gives an index of excretion efficiency of methylmercury.

The Quicksilver Mercury Tri-Test is the only clinical test that utilizes mercury speciation analysis, a patented advanced technology that separates methyl mercury (MeHg) from inorganic mercury (HgII) and measures each directly.

Quicksilver Scientific’s instruments are sensitive enough to measure ambient mercury levels in the body without the need for challenge testing. This laboratory test provides unprecedented information about exposure sources, body burden and ability to excrete each form of mercury. This detailed information helps build an informed picture and allows us to plan an appropriate approach to a successful detoxification strategy.

How Does This Differ From Mercury Challenge Testing?

In the 1990’s, sensitivity of analytical equipment was not advanced enough to measure ambient (steady state) blood mercury levels. Therefore, “challenge” or “provocation” testing, using high doses of strong chelation agents, was developed to “pull” mercury out of organic cellular structure for urinary analysis under the diagnostic premise that it shows the mercury “body burden” of an individual and establishes correlation of long-term mercury burden. While mercury challenge testing was clinically relevant for the time, advances in technology and clinical study have proven challenge testing to be unreliable and even potentially damaging to the person.

If we find high mercury in your test, we will devise a program based specifically for your body using various proven detoxification techniques and protocols including the QuickSilver Scientific heavy metal detoxification products.