A restorer who sands old painted window frames. A worker in a factory that handles metals. Someone who has used an imported skin cream for months and later learns it may contain mercury. These are the kinds of situations in which a heavy metal blood test usually comes up.
It is a test with a clear purpose: measuring exposure. This guide explains what the heavy metal and mineral tests in the BPR catalogue measure, when people usually consider them, and what a result can and cannot tell you.
Metals are everywhere, in small amounts
Heavy metals occur naturally in the Earth's crust and persist in the environment. People are exposed by breathing air and dust, through contaminated water or soil, and through the food chain. Whether this causes harm depends on the metal, the dose, the route and how long the exposure lasts (Jomova et al., 2025). The UK Health Security Agency makes the same point: the effects of any chemical depend on how much, how, for how long and in what form a person is exposed (UKHSA, Mercury: general information).
Some minerals measured in the same panel, such as zinc, copper and selenium, are essential for the body. Here the question is a different one: is there too little, or too much?
Lead
According to the UK Health Security Agency, exposure to inorganic lead occurs mainly through food and drinking water, and can also happen through soil, dust and air. Lead was historically used in paint, petrol, food cans and water pipes, and those uses have been phased out. Children may still meet it in soil, dust and flakes of old paint, and some traditional or imported remedies, cosmetics and pottery can contain lead. Employers in the UK must limit workers' exposure, which includes regular monitoring of blood lead levels (UKHSA, Lead: general information).
Lead has been studied for its effects on the brain, the kidneys and the circulation (Lanphear et al., 2024). In a large systematic review, higher lead levels were associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (Chowdhury et al., 2018).
The BPR catalogue includes Lead (Blood), which LML states reports about five days after the sample arrives, and Lead (Urine), a random urine sample with results in about 14 days.
Mercury
The UK Health Security Agency explains that everyone is exposed to small amounts of mercury from air, water and food. Other sources include dental amalgam fillings, some workplaces such as factories making electrical equipment and dental practices, and illegal skin-lightening creams or traditional medicines that may contain mercury (UKHSA, Mercury: general information).
The catalogue includes Mercury (Blood) and Mercury (Urine). LML reports the urine result as a mercury to creatinine ratio and notes that special containers may be needed, so check the instructions on the test page.
Aluminium
Aluminium is one of the metals covered in reviews of heavy metal toxicity (Jomova et al., 2025). LML offers Aluminium (Blood) and Aluminium (Urine), both with results in about two weeks. LML notes that raised levels may point to high exposure to aluminium.
The full panel: Mineral Screen and Industrial Heavy Metal Screen
The Mineral Screen and Industrial Heavy Metal Screen (Trace Metals) brings nine measurements together:
- Toxic metals: lead, mercury and aluminium in blood.
- Other metals: chromium in blood and manganese in serum.
- Essential minerals in red cells: zinc, copper, selenium and calcium.
LML explains that the panel can help identify deficiencies or excesses of essential minerals and the presence of toxic metals. It also stresses that results should be read in the context of symptoms, medical history and other tests. The panel needs several blood tubes, and LML states that results take about two weeks.
