Copper Test
This test checks for elevated levels of copper in your urine. You may consider copper testing if you are concerned about exposure to this essential, yet potentially toxic metal in your home, workplace, or environment. Read moreThis copper test helps identify signs of significant copper exposure. Copper is a heavy metal found naturally in air, water, food, and soil. It is an essential mineral that supports multiple bodily functions; therefore, individuals may normally have low levels of copper in their urine. High levels of copper in urine may indicate significant exposure in your home, workplace, or environment. Copper toxicity can result in damage to the eyes, skin, liver, kidneys, and respiratory system.
Note: A copper urine test is less sensitive than a copper blood test. If you are concerned about a copper deficiency or a severe toxic exposure, you should follow up with your healthcare provider to use a blood/serum test where appropriate.
Buy your own copper lab test online with Quest. No doctor’s visit is required – simply purchase a copper toxicity test, visit a nearby Quest location for sample collection, and get fast results.
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Copper is a heavy metal and essential mineral that supports many bodily functions. It helps break down iron, produce energy, create tissue and blood vessels, and more. Copper can enter the body through food ingestion, where only a small amount is stored, and the rest passes through the liver and is removed in bile and other gastrointestinal fluids. Copper also enters the body through exposure to polluted air and contaminated drinking water. This may occur if your home has copper pipes and acidic water. Excess exposure can be toxic and result in damage to the eyes, skin, liver, kidneys, and respiratory system (i.e., copper toxicity).
Drinking water can contain high levels of copper if your home has copper pipes and acidic water, which is more likely in newer or recently renovated buildings using copper plumbing. You may also be exposed to copper fumes if you work or live near a site that uses copper in mining, agriculture, or a processing facility.1
In non-hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), a thin copper wire wraps around the body of the IUD to trigger inflammation in the uterus, which kills sperm and eggs.2 Studies provide evidence that copper IUDs are not likely to increase the risk of copper toxicity.3,4 If you are concerned about your IUD, you should follow up with your healthcare provider.
Signs and symptoms of different toxic metal poisoning can mimic each other, so they are often tested together, such as lead and iodine. If you are interested in having these other heavy metals tested, the Lead Test and the Iodine Test are available.
- Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. ToxFAQs for Copper. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/ToxFAQs/ToxFAQsDetails.aspx?faqid=205&toxid=37#bookmark05
- Medical News Today. Copper toxicity: Symptoms and treatment. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/copper-toxicity
- Krishnamurthy Prema, Baru Anantha Rama Lakshmi, Soma Babu, Serum Copper in Long-Term Users of Copper Intrauterine Devices, Fertility and Sterility, Volume 34, Issue 1, 1980, Pages 32-35, ISSN 0015-0282, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0015-0282(16)44835-1. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028216448351)
- The National Institute for Occupational Saftey and Health (NIOSH). Copper. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0150.html
- Royer A, Sharman T. Copper Toxicity. [Updated 2023 Mar 27]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557456/
- Healthline. What to Know About Copper Toxicity. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://www.healthline.com/health/copper-toxicity
- Healthline. Copper Deficiency. Accessed September 9, 2024. https://www.healthline.com/health/copper-deficiency