Contacts for Hair Lead Analysis in Australia

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QUESTION: Contacts for Hair Lead Analysis in Australia - 20 Apr 2007 Victoria, Australia

Can you please tell me where in Australia you are able to get hair analysis testing done.

Kindest Regards.

Anne-Louise.

ANSWER: 23 Aug 2007

Dear Anne-Louise,

We apologise for having taken so long to respond to your query. This was due to a shortage of staff on our part.

We have the following contact for hair testing, otherwise called Hair Testing of Mineral Analysis (HTMA):

InterClinical Laboratories Pty Ltd
Unit 6, 10 Bradford Street
Alexandria NSW 2015 Australia
PO Box 6474 Alexandria NSW 2015 Australia
Phone: (02) 9693 2888
Fax: (02) 9693 1888
Email: lab@interclinical.com.au
Website: www.interclinical.com.au/hairtissue.php

A second contact for hair testing, in Melbourne is

Healthscope Pathology
Level 1, 312 St Kilda Road Melbourne VIC 3004
PO Box 7586, Melbourne VIC 8004
Phone: (03) 9926 7500; 1300 453 688
Fax: (03) 9926 7599
Website: http://www.healthscopepathology.com.au/index.php/functional-pathology/tests/hair-mineral-analysis-hma/

Healthscope laboratories cover all disciplines of laboratory medicine and are NATA / RCPA accredited.

We would however want to mention that there are points for and against the hair testing method for Lead. One of the points against its usage in testing for Lead is its high cost yet it does not match in terms of its efficacy with other methods such as Blood Lead testing done by a physician. In addition, the Environmental Health Unit - Dept of Human Services Victoria (DHSV) doesn't respond to hair lead results.

If you go to a doctor and get a referral for blood lead results AND they came back high, then you or your doctor could contact, the Environmental Health Unit on 90960422 and ask them to do a free home Lead assessment. An elevated blood lead level is still regarded as 15 micrograms per decilitre (15 µg/dL ) by the Victorian Health Department, yet recent research would indicate unacceptable risks for any blood lead level over 2 µg/dL . I'll send you our Info Pack on this issue and you may want to note that there is no such body of information relating health effects to hair Lead levels.

With our best regards,

Patrick Mugo Muraguri

Volunteer Information Officer