Home › Biomarkers › Arsenic, urine
An estimated 140 million people in at least 70 countries drink water containing more arsenic than the WHO's provisional guideline value.[1]
On this page you can read what arsenic (urine) is, what the guidelines say about a value that is too low or too high, what affects your value and which values are best to look at alongside it.
Also known as: arsenicum, arsenic in urine. At the lab: AS.
Arsenic, also called arsenicum, is one of the heavy metals, just like cadmium, mercury, lead and tin. It is found in low amounts in rock, soil and groundwater. There are organic and inorganic forms. The inorganic forms are more harmful to your health.[2]
Arsenic is a natural part of the earth's crust. You find it everywhere in the environment: in the air, in water and in the soil.[1]
Arsenic mainly ends up in food through pollution of the environment. Plants take it up from the soil and water. Animals take it in through water and feed.[2]
If you take in a lot of inorganic arsenic through drinking water and food over a long time, you can develop long-term arsenic poisoning. The first signs usually show on the skin: a change in skin colour, patches on the skin and hard patches on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. This happens after about five years or longer.[1]
According to the WHO, taking in too much arsenic over a long time may also be linked to serious conditions of the bladder, lungs and heart, to a disorder of blood sugar and to effects on development.[1]
Arsenic is also linked to poorer outcomes if you are pregnant and to effects on children's health. Studies show harmful effects on the development of thinking, on intelligence and on memory.[1]
There is no tolerable daily intake for arsenic. That is why food should contain as little arsenic as possible. The European Union has set strict maximum levels, and for rice products for young children these are even lower.[2]
| Exposure according to the WHO | Can point to | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| A lot of arsenic in a short time[1] | Vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea, followed by numbness and tingling in the hands and feet, and muscle cramps | People with acute arsenic poisoning |
| A lot of inorganic arsenic over a long period[1] | Changes in skin colour, patches on the skin and hard patches on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet | People who take in arsenic through drinking water and food over a long period |
| Arsenic before birth and in early childhood[1] | Effects on the child's health and development | Pregnant women and young children |
Source: WHO, fact sheet on arsenic. The WHO describes exposure to arsenic and does not give a limit for arsenic in urine.[1]
The WHO does not give a limit for arsenic in urine. The WHO does say that people take in more inorganic arsenic through contaminated drinking water, food prepared or grown with such water, industrial processes and smoking. A higher value may point to more exposure to arsenic.[1]
BioProfile is working on its own zones for each value, from risk to optimal. A doctor reviews those zones before they appear in your result.
Arsenic is found mainly in rice and rice products. The Voedingscentrum advises you to vary with other grain products and potatoes, and not to give children rice or rice cakes every day. If you wash rice and cook it in plenty of water, you rinse away some of the arsenic.[2]
Fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, dairy and grains can also contain arsenic, but usually much less than contaminated groundwater. In seafood, arsenic is mostly found in the less toxic organic form.[1]
According to the WHO, contaminated groundwater is the biggest source. In countries including Bangladesh, India, China and the United States, groundwater naturally contains a lot of inorganic arsenic.[1]
Tobacco plants take up arsenic from the soil, so if you smoke, you also take in arsenic. Arsenic is also used in making glass, pigments, textiles, paper and wood preservatives, in tanning hides and, to a limited extent, in pesticides, animal feed and medicines.[1]
Arsenic in urine is not part of any of the five packages. You'll find arsenic in urine in the separate test BioProfile Heavy metals.[3]
The BioProfile editorial team wrote this page on 5 October 2026 from the sources below, which we read on 5 October 2026. Every number on this page appears in one of those sources, with that source's number next to it. An expert has yet to review this page; once that review is done, the expert's name and the date of the review will appear at the top. This page explains and does not diagnose. Discuss a value outside the normal range with your GP.
