InstalabToxDetect Profile
Should you take a ToxDetect Profile test?
This test is most useful if any of these apply to you.
27 biomarkers included
- GlyphosateThe active ingredient in the world's most-used weed killer, reaching people mainly through food and water.A high value reflects recent dietary or occupational exposure; national surveys detect it in roughly four in five Americans.
- MonoethylphthalateThe metabolite of diethyl phthalate (DEP), which carries scent in perfumes and lotions and is usually the most abundant phthalate in urine.High levels typically point to fragranced personal care products as your main phthalate source.
- Monobutyl PhthalateReflects dibutyl phthalate (DBP), used in some cosmetics, nail products, and industrial coatings.Elevation suggests DBP exposure, a phthalate linked in human studies to reduced semen quality and shorter pregnancy.
- Mono-2-ethylhexyl PhthalateA breakdown product of DEHP, the plasticizer in vinyl and food packaging, reflecting your recent intake of this phthalate linked in human studies to hormonal effects.Higher levels flag the DEHP family most tied in human studies to male reproductive and hormonal effects.
- Mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) PhthalateA more stable oxidized breakdown product of the same DEHP plasticizer, giving a steadier read of intake from packaged and processed food.A high value corroborates DEHP exposure and points toward food and packaging as the likely source.
- Monoisobutyl PhthalateMarks diisobutyl phthalate, a common DBP substitute in adhesives, inks, and personal care items.A raised level shows the replacement phthalate is reaching you, often alongside its close chemical cousin DBP.
- Bisphenol AMeasures BPA, a hardening chemical in rigid plastics, the linings of cans, and thermal receipt paper.Elevation reflects recent contact with canned food, plastics, or receipts, a chemical tied to hormonal and metabolic effects.
- Bisphenol SMeasures BPS, the 'BPA-free' replacement now common in receipts and plastics.A high BPS shows that choosing BPA-free products does not necessarily lower your overall bisphenol exposure.
- 2-3-4 Methylhippuric AcidThe urinary marker of xylene, a solvent in paints, varnishes, and adhesives.A high value indicates recent xylene exposure, often from solvents, fumes, or a freshly painted space.
- Phenylglyoxylic AcidA shared breakdown product of styrene and ethylbenzene, solvents used in plastics and resins.Elevation reflects recent styrene or ethylbenzene exposure from plastics or off-gassing materials.
- N-Acetyl Phenyl CysteineA byproduct your body makes while clearing benzene (also called S-phenylmercapturic acid), a carcinogen from tobacco smoke, traffic, and fuel.Elevation points to recent benzene exposure, with tobacco smoke and vehicle exhaust the usual sources.
- N-Acetyl (2-Cyanoethyl) CysteineA clearance product of acrylonitrile, a plastics chemical found heavily in tobacco smoke.A high value strongly suggests recent tobacco smoke exposure, whether active or secondhand.
- N-Acetyl (Propyl) CysteineA clearance product reflecting exposure to certain reactive solvents your body handles through the same detox pathway.Elevation adds a distinct solvent signal that helps confirm broad recent VOC contact across the panel.
- N-Acetyl (3,4-Dihydroxybutyl) CysteineA breakdown product of 1,3-butadiene, a combustion gas from traffic and tobacco smoke.A high level points to recent exposure to vehicle exhaust or smoke.
- 2-Hydroxyethyl Mercapturic AcidA marker tied to ethylene oxide and related reactive solvents encountered in smoke and some industrial settings.Elevation flags exposure to reactive solvents, with smoking a common contributor.
- MethylparabenThe most widely used paraben preservative in cosmetics and lotions, and the paraben most often detected in urine.Elevation points to preserved personal care products as an active, ongoing exposure source.
- EthylparabenA paraben preservative in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals that often tracks alongside methylparaben.Elevation corroborates preservative-heavy product use and, in some studies, associates with metabolic risk.
- PropylparabenA longer-chain paraben preservative with somewhat greater estrogen-like activity than methylparaben.A high level flags a paraben with stronger estrogen-like activity than methyl or ethyl, marking heavier use of preserved products.
- ButylparabenThe longest-chain paraben measured here, with the strongest estrogen-mimicking potency of the group.Even at low detection, butylparaben signals a more potent endocrine-active preservative reaching your body.
- Atrazine MercapturateA metabolite of atrazine, a corn herbicide that is a frequent drinking-water contaminant.A high level suggests atrazine reached you, often through contaminated water or agricultural surroundings.
- 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic AcidMeasures 2,4-D, a widely used lawn and agricultural herbicide, directly.Elevation typically follows recent contact with treated lawns, gardens, or nearby agriculture.
- 3-Phenoxybenzoic AcidA shared breakdown product of pyrethroid insecticides used on lawns, gardens, pets, and produce.Elevation signals recent pyrethroid exposure but does not identify which specific product was the source.
- DiethylphosphateA breakdown product common to organophosphate insecticides, a class used on crops and in some pest control.A high value points to recent organophosphate exposure, most often through diet.
- Diphenyl PhosphateA breakdown product of triphenyl phosphate and related aryl phosphate flame retardants and plasticizers in electronics, furniture, and nail polish.Elevation flags exposure to organophosphate flame retardants in your indoor environment.
- N-Acetyl (Carbomethyl) CysteineAnother solvent-clearance byproduct that broadens the panel's coverage of volatile organic chemical exposure.A high value extends the panel's map of recent solvent and industrial-chemical contact beyond the named VOCs.
- PerchlorateA contaminant that reaches most people through food and water, also linked to fireworks and some fertilizers, and competes with iodine at the thyroid.High perchlorate, especially with low iodine, may shift thyroid hormone balance and warrants a thyroid check.
- OxybenzoneA chemical ultraviolet filter in many sunscreens and cosmetics that is absorbed through the skin.High oxybenzone reflects recent sunscreen or cosmetic use, a filter with mild estrogen-like activity.
About ToxDetect Profile
Your body carries a chemical fingerprint from modern life. Every day you take in small amounts of pesticides, plastic ingredients, solvents, and industrial byproducts through food, water, air, and the products you put on your skin. Most of these do not linger. They pass out through your urine within hours to a few days, which is exactly where they can be measured.
The ToxDetect Profile reads that fingerprint across seven families of chemicals at once. It is used mainly in research and functional medicine settings to map recent exposures, not to diagnose disease, and there is no standard clinical scoring system for what it finds. What it offers is an honest snapshot of what got into your body lately, and where you might trim it back.
What This Panel Reveals
The value of testing many chemical classes together is that real-world exposure is a mixture, not a single culprit. Population studies consistently find that most people carry several of these chemicals at detectable levels at the same time. One marker in isolation tells you almost nothing about that pattern. Read as a group, the panel shows which corners of your life are contributing the most.
The largest group covers plastics and packaging. Five phthalate metabolites track the soft, flexible plasticizers in vinyl, food packaging, and fragranced products, while two bisphenols track the hardening agents in rigid plastics, can linings, and receipt paper. Bisphenol A (a hardening chemical known as BPA) and its newer stand-in bisphenol S sit here together, because switching to a 'BPA-free' product often just swaps one bisphenol for another.
A second group reflects what you apply to your body. Four paraben preservatives and the sunscreen filter oxybenzone all enter mainly through cosmetics, lotions, and personal care products, and one of the phthalates (the fragrance carrier) usually rides along with them. A third group covers outdoor and agricultural chemicals: glyphosate and 2,4-D from weed killers, a shared pyrethroid marker from insecticides, an organophosphate marker, and a metabolite of the corn herbicide atrazine.
The final group captures solvents and combustion. A set of mercapturic acids (the byproducts your body makes while clearing volatile organic compounds, the everyday solvents and fuel fumes known as VOCs) reflects benzene, xylene, styrene, and related chemicals from tobacco smoke, traffic, paints, and off-gassing materials. Standing slightly apart is perchlorate, a contaminant that reaches most people through food and water and competes with iodine at the thyroid, giving the panel a direct link to hormone health.
How to Read Your Results Together
No single value here is a diagnosis. The useful signal is the shape of the whole set: which classes stand out, and which everyday habits they point back toward. A single class near the top usually names a source you can act on. Several classes elevated at once suggests broad, ongoing exposure worth stepping through room by room.
| Pattern | What It Suggests |
|---|---|
| Phthalates and parabens high, others low | Personal care and fragranced products are likely the main driver. Start with what you apply to skin and hair. |
| Glyphosate, 2,4-D, or the pyrethroid marker high | Diet, treated lawns, gardening, or nearby agriculture are the usual sources of the herbicide and insecticide markers. |
| Solvent (VOC) markers high | Look at tobacco smoke, commuting, fuel, paints, or a recently renovated space. |
| Perchlorate high | Consider checking thyroid function, especially if your iodine intake is low, since perchlorate competes with iodine. |
One caution shapes every reading: a low value on any single chemical is not full reassurance, because the summed burden of many moderate exposures can matter more than any one number. Treat the panel as a map of where your exposures cluster, then confirm a source before you act on it.
What to Do with Your Results
The best-supported response to a high result is to find and reduce the source, not to chase a detox protocol, which the evidence does not validate for these chemicals. If phthalates and parabens lead, review cosmetics, lotions, and fragranced products. If herbicide or pesticide markers lead, look at diet, water, and lawn or garden practices. If solvent markers lead, address smoke exposure, ventilation, and fumes.
A high perchlorate result, particularly alongside fatigue or other thyroid symptoms, is a reason to add a thyroid blood test rather than to act on the urine number alone. Because these chemicals clear the body quickly, a single sample only reflects the days around collection, so retesting after you change a habit is how you confirm the change actually worked. Share results with a clinician who can interpret them in the context of your health, since this panel is exploratory and not a standalone diagnostic.
When Results Can Be Misleading
The most important limitation applies to the entire panel at once. These chemicals have short lives in the body, so a spot urine sample is a snapshot of the last few hours to a day or two, not your typical exposure. A meal, a lotion, or a smoky commute that morning can lift a result, and a quiet day can flatten it.
Reproducibility also varies by chemical. Parabens tend to be among the steadier markers (a day-to-day consistency score around 0.52 on a 0-to-1 scale), while BPA (around 0.20) and the pyrethroid marker (around 0.08) swing widely between samples. Hydration matters too, since a dilute or concentrated urine shifts every value, which is why labs adjust results for concentration.
Finally, detection is nearly universal. In national surveys glyphosate was measurable in roughly four in five Americans, though that share has edged down in more recent years, and phthalates and parabens are found in the vast majority of people tested. Finding a chemical means you were exposed, not that you are harmed, and some markers are shared by several parent chemicals rather than pointing to one exact source.