The Expression of Urine Analysis Results—Observations on the Use of a Specific Gravity Correction

Abstract

Urine analyses are very useful for measuring the extent of exposure to certain toxic substances. The types of specimen obtainable from persons employed in industry, and the effect of concentration variations are discussed. In expressing the results of analysis it is shown that a concentration correction is essential. The correction based on specific gravity is the easiest to apply. The mean specific gravity for persons resident in the U.K. has been found to be around 1·016, a figure considerably lower than the mean of 1·024 used by many workers (particularly in the U.S.A.). The implications of this on the results of urine analysis are indicated.