Stability of ethyl glucuronide in hair reference materials after accelerated aging

Two different hair reference materials, one produced from authentic hair displaying an ethyl glucuronide (EtG) content of about 25 pg/mg and one obtained by fortification of blank hair to an EtG level of 85 pg/mg were submitted to accelerated aging between 4 °C and 60 °C for periods between one and 24 months. Subsequently, the EtG content was determined in the aged samples and untreated reference samples stored at -22 °C under repeatability conditions following the so-called isochronous approach. The EtG content remained stable even at 40 °C for 24 months and at 60 °C over six months. This is in contrast to many organic analytes contained in trace concentrations in diverse matrices. A slight but significant increase of the recovered EtG in case of authentic hair samples having been exposed for 24 months between 4 °C and 60 °C may be due to a temperature-driven process that allows increased recoveries of the physiologically embedded EtG.