Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HMA or HTMA) in Australia

TEST DESCRIPTION: For the first time in Australia, human hair testing is available to the public using the absolute latest Perkin Elmer Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometer at Environmental Analysis Laboratories in Lismore, Australia. Instrument detection limits are at or below the single part per trillion (ppt) level for many of substances tested.

Results are then presented online without any personal details – hence preserving privacy and confidentiality. Many innovative features are utilised so that individuals can get the outmost from their results. Example results are on this page.

It’s also a great way for children to get screened for heavy metal exposure like antimony, lead and mercury because of the non-invasive nature of the test.

Because this test and the expertise is now available in Australia, we can keep the cost around AU$125 – which includes an interactive report (tests ordered in Australia from US labs are still around $160-$190)

There is a delicate balance between sufficient nutrient intake and toxic chemical load. The detoxification system within humans has innate learning capabilities comparable to our immune system and our brain. At this point in history (2018), our exposure to unfettered horrendous chemicals increases daily. Like many other areas in life, imbalance leads to illness and anxiety.

Clarity is gained by occasionally testing our bodies and our environment. It can be disconcerting to find elevated levels of disease contributing, IQ lowering substances in ourselves, our children or the water we drink or the soil we grow food or play in. However, implementing simple strategies based on testing results can save years of needless suffering.

Heavy metals compete at the molecular and cellular level with nutrient minerals. It is paramount to find the source of the heavy metal exposure and stop the exposure. Only then is it both feasible and safe to consider detoxifying.

THE BOTTOM LINE: The main purpose of this test is to reveal possible long term exposure to harmful toxic metals.

More than half of the metals & Minerals we test are known to be toxic, dangerous, carcinogenic or have unknown effects on humans. Long red bars in your results make it imperative to investigate possible exposure routes and consider follow-up with Water, Soil or Dust tests. Evidence indicates that the Heavy Metals with longer red bars correlate well with levels of recent consistent exposure. See result examples.

There are links within your results that take you to further information. All links are in blue. Metal name links take you to the substance profile on on our sister site – Toxno. You can also see other people’s results by clicking on compare.

Additional information includes your actual result expressed as mg of the metal per kg of your hair, the reference range used to calculate the zscores, the date and lab job number and client sample details. LOD stands for “Limit of Detection”

FROM THE LITERATURE: “Trace element analysis on hair samples has been widely used to assess wildlife and human exposure to different contaminants present in the environment or at the workplace. Several advantages were mentioned for the use of this biological material in monitoring studies, namely: (i) the less invasive character of hair collection procedures that avoid venepuncture; (ii) the stability of hair, as a biological material, which facilitates the storage and transport processes; (iii) the higher concentrations of residues usually found in hair samples, when compared to those on blood and urine, and (iv) the capacity of hair to accumulate metals during extended periods, reflecting by this way, at least 1 year of exposure.”

REF: Scalp hair analysis as a tool in assessing human exposure to heavy metals, R.Pereiraa, et al, Science of the Total Environment 327 (2004) 81–92

“Concern about the effects of environmental exposure to metals and metalloids on human health has driven the scientific community to find reliable tools and methods for assessing the impact of emissions of toxic metals from anthropogenic sources or naturally anomalous levels of metals in water, soil and air. There are various methods for measuring exposure to toxic substances. Biological monitoring has been extensively employed with this end in view, and blood, urine, faeces, hair and nails are the most frequently analysed biological materials to ascertain the levels of many metals.

Metal concentrations decrease rapidly in blood and urine after an acute exposure while hair and nails appear to be of greater value in evaluating past and high or even very low ongoing exposure to metals. Hair has been used more frequently than nails for different purposes and in different fields of application.

Medical research uses hair analysis to diagnose disease conditions and to define relationships between concentrations of metals and various diseases; forensic scientists examine hair to discover forms of poisoning due to the ingestion of abnormal doses of metals ; environmentalists try to identify areas which require attention, due to the potential exposure of resident populations to metals and also to ascertain occupational exposure to them.”

REF: Trace elements in scalp hair of children living in differing environmental contexts in Sicily (Italy), G. Dongarra, et al, Environmental toxicology and pharmacology 34 (2012) 160–169

COST
EAL LABORATORY TEST and TOXTEST INTERACTIVE ONLINE REPORT $98 AU

NOTE:
All test fees are paid directly to Environmental Analysis Laboratory (EAL) at Southern Cross University, Australia with details on order form below

SAMPLE SIZE
About 1 gram of hair or 2 heaped table spoons. See picture below. More details in order form.