Quantitative determination of ethyl glucuronide in sweat

Area of Science:

• Forensic toxicology
• Analytical chemistry
• Biomedical science

Background:

• Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is a specific metabolite of ethanol.
• Monitoring alcohol consumption and abstinence is crucial in clinical and forensic settings.
• Current methods like urine and serum analysis have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the detection of EtG in human sweat.
• To establish a method for quantifying EtG concentration in sweat.
• To evaluate sweat patch analysis as an alternative to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• Human volunteers consumed controlled amounts of ethanol.
• Sweat was collected using a PharmChek sweat patch.
• EtG was extracted, purified, and quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
• Sodium concentration was measured by capillary electrophoresis to estimate sweat volume.

Main Results:

• EtG was detected in sweat patches from individuals who consumed alcohol, with concentrations ranging from 1.7 to 103.0 microg/L.
• No EtG was detected in non-consuming subjects.
• The method allowed for the calculation of EtG concentration in sweat by correcting for sweat volume using sodium levels.

Conclusions:

• EtG is detectable in sweat collected via a sweat patch following alcohol consumption.
• Simultaneous sodium determination enables accurate EtG concentration calculation in sweat.
• EtG analysis in sweat represents a promising alternative for abstinence monitoring.