Table 1.
Element concentration ranges which may be encountered in biological samples (blood or urine).
| Element | Clinical application | Approximate concentration range* |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium | Toxic | 0.1–10 μmol/L |
| Antimony | Toxic | 1–30 nmol/L |
| Arsenic | Toxic | 0.01–80 μmol/L |
| Barium | Toxic | 7–700 nmol/L |
| Beryllium | Toxic | 1–150 nmol/L |
| Bismuth | Toxic, Therapeutic | 1–200 nmol/L |
| Bromide | Toxic, Therapeutic | 0.1–40 mmol/L |
| Cadmium | Toxic | 1–100 nmol/L |
| Chloride(sweat) | Metabolic | 10–200 mmol/L |
| Chromium | Toxic | 1–5000 nmol/L |
| Cobalt | Toxic | 1–5000 nmol/L |
| Copper | Nutritional, Metabolic | 1–50 μmol/L |
| Gold | Therapeutic | 1–10 μmol/L |
| Iodine | Toxic, Nutritional | 0.008–200 μmol/L |
| Lead | Toxic | 0.01–10 μmol/L (~0.2–200 μg/dL) |
| Manganese | Nutritional | 1–400 nmol/L |
| Mercury | Toxic | 1–1000 nmol/L |
| Molybdenum | Toxic | 1–20 nmol/L |
| Nickel | Toxic | 1–200 nmol/L |
| Selenium | Toxic, Nutritional | 0.1–10 μmol/L |
| Silver | Skin Pigmentation | 1–500 nmol/L |
| Thallium | Toxic | 1–50 nmol/L |
| Tin | Toxic | 0.2–500 nmol/L |
| Vanadium | Toxic | 1–1000 nmol/L |
| Zinc | Nutritional | 1–40 μmol/L |
*
These ranges are meant as a guide only; toxic levels may occasionally exceed the upper limit of the quoted range.