Urine · 2 analyses
Chromium
Measures chromium in your urine, as a measure of recent exposure. For anyone who works with chromium, chrome-plated materials or chromium-containing paint.
€ 42,00
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Metals, toxins and medication · Urine
Chromium (urine)
Chromium in urine is a measure of recent exposure to chromium, mainly with work involving chromium or chromium-containing paint.
At a glance
- Measured in urine
- In 2 test panels
- Check the preparation
Explanation
Chromium (urine): what is measured?
The analysis measures how much chromium leaves the body in the urine. Chromium occurs in different forms. Chromium-3 is a trace element found in small amounts in vegetables, fruit and whole grain products. Chromium-6 is used in industry, for example for chrome plating metal and plastic, in anti-corrosion paint and in wood preservation, and is harmful. The test measures total chromium and does not distinguish between these forms.
What can it detect?
- Exposure to chromium at work, for example with chrome plating, leather tanning or work with chromium-containing paint or cement
- A high intake through chromium supplements
Result
What does the result mean?
Chromium (urine) too high
A raised value fits recent exposure to chromium, for example at work, or the use of chromium supplements. Excretion can also be higher with a metal-on-metal hip replacement. According to the ATSDR, a raised value does not tell which health effects may develop. Breathing in chromium-6 has been linked to symptoms of the nose and airways, such as asthma, and skin contact to ulcers and allergic skin reactions.
Chromium (urine) too low
A low or unmeasurable value is normal. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum), as far as is known, chromium deficiencies do not occur in the Netherlands. A low value does not rule out that someone was exposed to chromium-6 in the past, because urine mainly reflects the recent past.
After an abnormal result
With a raised result, the GP looks for the source, such as work or supplements, together with the occupational physician if needed, and has the measurement repeated if needed. With symptoms after exposure to chromium-6 at work, follow-up goes through the occupational physician.
Reliability
How reliable is the test?
Chromium in urine is mainly informative with known, recent exposure at work; in people without known exposure, a single value says little. With exposure at work, the urine is collected at the end of a working day or directly after the exposure. According to the ATSDR, a raised value in urine or blood can point to exposure, but cannot predict which health effects will develop. Exposure months or years ago, such as earlier work with paint containing chromium-6, can no longer be seen in urine.
What can affect the result?
- A single urine sample depends strongly on how much you have drunk; the result is easier to compare when it is expressed per gram of creatinine, which requires measuring creatinine in the same sample.
- Chromium supplements raise the value.
- The test measures total chromium and does not distinguish between chromium-3 from food and harmful chromium-6.
- There are no agreed cutoff values; the limit between normal and raised comes from the laboratory itself.
Preparation
- Do you work with chromium? Then collect the urine at the end of a working day or right after the exposure.
Who it is for
Who is the test useful for?
Useful for
Useful with known, recent exposure to chromium at work, usually in consultation with the occupational physician. In people without symptoms and without known exposure, the measurement adds nothing. For the check-up of a metal-on-metal hip replacement, the NOV uses blood tests. A chromium allergy is diagnosed with a patch test, not with a urine test.
How common is it?
Workers could come into contact with chromium-6 at various places in the Netherlands, including the Ministry of Defence, the municipality of Tilburg and the Dutch Railways; the RIVM has investigated this. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum), as far as is known, chromium deficiencies do not occur in the Netherlands.
The RIVM (Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum)
Drawbacks and risks
- A diluted or, conversely, concentrated urine sample can give a raised or low result that has nothing to do with exposure.
- A normal value can be falsely reassuring about exposure in the past.
Get tested
Chromium (urine): test panels
Chromium (urine) is part of these test panels. You order online and have your blood drawn at a collection point or collect the sample at home.
Evidence
Sources
This explanation is based on Dutch guidelines and independent information. It is general information, not a diagnosis. Discuss an abnormal result with your GP.
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