Alcohol Testing Services
Over the years alcohol has risen to be the most commonly abused drug in the UK resulting in the number of alcohol related conditions has become a major public health concern.
Studies have estimated that 15% of the UK adult population has a medically defined alcohol problem, which due to the nature of the substance not only poses a risk to the individual but also to their families and the wider community.
Alcohol, more appropriately ethanol not only has toxic effects towards cells of the body, but prolonged use/exposure can lead to more serious psychological damage such as: depression, aggression, dependency and impairment of judgment. This is of great importance for a number of reasons which include:
- An individual’s capacity to Care for dependants (i.e. children)
- The ability to operate heavy machinery in public sectors
- Performance of duties in health and safety critical industries
- Alcohol treatment programmes
- Screening people in clinical trials
- Suitability for surgery
How does the test work?
As with drugs of abuse, once ingested the ethanol consumed enters the blood stream where it is broken down (metabolised) into smaller component parts called metabolites which include EtG (ethyl glucuronide) or FAEE’s (fatty acids ethyl esters).
These metabolites in the blood, which act as good biological markers for the diagnosis of alcohol dependency are then absorbed via the hair root and incorporated into growing hair follicles.
It is the metabolites of ethanol metabolism which are detected in order to reduce the rates of false positives as ethanol is used in a variety of common hair cosmetic products and/or prescribed medication.
Eurofins Forensic Services specializes in the detection of EtG, which is a more stable metabolite than FAEE’s in hair. Our laboratory has pioneered many of the new testing methodologies for the detection of EtG in hair and offers a service far in advance scientifically than any UK laboratory.
Ethyl glucuronide is very rarely detected in a social drinker and thus it provides a marker of alcohol abuse and as such can be useful in pre-employment and workplace testing
What can be determined?
Because human hair grows on average at a rate of approximately 1cm a month and due to the relatively stable binding of EtG into the hair shaft. It is possible to accurately detect the presence of EtG in hair over a period of months identifying a consistent pattern of alcohol abuse and/or dependency. For example, when EtG is detected above certain levels, there is strong evidence of moderate to excessive alcohol use. A direct correlation between the amount of ethanol consumed and the levels of EtG detected in hair is difficult to establish. There are a number of possible factors which could affect the binding and incorporation of EtG into hair. These include an individual’s:
- Ability to metabolise ethanol (and therefore produce EtG)
- Pigmentation of hair
However, The Society of Hair testing which incorporates leaders in the field of hair analysis, has reached consensus for the cut off level of EtG (expressed as ng of EtG/mg of hair) detected in hair to determine heavy drinkers.
If a segment of hair analysed has an EtG value greater than 50ng, then the donor would be considered to be abusing alcohol. - Heavier drinkers: > 0.050 ng/mg.
Our laboratory offers an even more sensitive level of detection of 25ng (0.025ng/mg) to greater differentiate between individuals who may be borderline abusers.
It should be noted that alcohol abuse analysis by EtG detection in hair is not definitive. No single biochemical test performed on one occasion is sufficient to provide evidence that a person regularly uses alcohol in large quantities. Although a test will provide corroborative evidence to alcohol abuse, it still only provides part of the overall picture that makes up addiction assessments and should not be solely relied upon. As the hair grows it contains the drug metabolites. There is a 4-5 day time lag from the time of drug use for the affected hair to grow above the scalp.
