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Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Microdialysis of Ethanol During Operant Ethanol Self-administration and Ethanol Determination by Gas Chromatography
Published on: September 5, 2012
High-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the detection and quantitation of ethanol in human
A A Pappas1, J R Thompson, W H Porter
1University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205-7199.
Abstract:
A precise, accurate, and nondestructive method for the detection and quantitation of serum ethanol in humans using proton (1H) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was developed. The 1H MRS method was linear within the range of 30-1500 mg/L. The lowest detectable ethanol concentration was 15 mg/L, with 30 mg/L being the lowest level reproducibly quantitated. Within-run and day-to-day coefficients of variation (CV) ranged from 0.6 to 2.7% and 0.5 to 3.5%, respectively. The excellent day-to-day CVs indicate a negligible loss of ethanol due to volatilization during analysis. Fifteen human serum samples found to be negative for ethanol by headspace gas chromatography (HSGC) had no ethanol as detected by 1H MRS. Twenty-eight human serum samples with ethanol concentrations (determined by HSGC) ranging from 370 to 4440 mg/L were accurately reproduced by 1H MRS. The 1H MRS method required no pretreatment and was nondestructive, thereby allowing for further analysis by confirmatory methods.
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