METALLOPATHY Evidence on heavy metals in people

Static evidence pages. Grades A to F. Sources named.

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Testing

Is hair mineral analysis (HTMA) accurate for heavy metals?

For most substances, the ATSDR hair panel said there are not enough data to predict a health effect from the amount in hair. The panel agreed that a hair-to-outcome relationship was established for methylmercury and, to a limited extent, for arsenic, if external contamination is ruled out. ACMT and AACT say not to use hair or nail testing to screen for metal poisoning in people with nonspecific symptoms, because those tests are rarely required, frequently unreliable, and of limited use.

What the panel said

The summary statement was: for most substances, insufficient data exist to predict a health effect from the concentration in hair. Presence may indicate exposure, internal or external, and does not necessarily indicate the source. The panel said hair grows about 12 centimeters per year and is not generally useful for very recent exposures or for exposures longer ago than 1 year. The report says these are panelists' views, not ATSDR positions. Executive summary.

No clinical reference ranges for nails were captured. ACMT groups nails with hair for this screening use. Choosing Wisely PDF.

Related pages

Sources

  1. ATSDR hair analysis panel executive summary, December 2001
  2. ATSDR hair analysis panel discussion page
  3. ACMT and AACT Choosing Wisely list

Heavy Metal Index

Heavy Metal Index: ICP-MS testing. This Heavy Metal Index URL returned HTTP 200 on 15 October 2026. Figures on this page are not copied from that index. They come from the sources named above.

What's safe to buy

The Heavy Metal Tested and Certified public register listed no licensees on 15 October 2026. That page reported 0 certified brands and 0 certified products, and it stated that no brand has completed the three-lot baseline. A specimen layout on the register is an illustration, not a licensee. This page does not name or rank any brand.

The program states that certification is a measurement of a product against a published limit, not a statement that the product is safe. If a licensee is later listed for this category, it will be on the register.

This page summarizes cited documents. It does not diagnose or prescribe. Reviewed 15 October 2026.