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Stability of ethyl glucuronide in urine, post-mortem tissue and blood samples

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Abstract

The stability of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) under conditions of degradation was examined in urine samples of nine volunteers and in post-mortem tissue (liver, skeletal muscle) and blood taken from seven corpses at autopsies. Analysis was performed via LC-MS/MS. EtG concentrations in urine samples ranged from 2.5 to 296.5 mg/l. When stored at 4°C in airtight test tubes, EtG concentrations remained relatively constant; when stored at room temperature (RT) for 5 weeks in ventilated vials, variations of EtG concentrations ranged from a 30% decrease to an 80% increase, with an average of 37.5% increase. Liver and skeletal muscle tissue of three corpses with positive blood alcohol concentrations (BAC; ranging from 0.106 to 0.183 g%) were stored for 4 weeks and analysed periodically. EtG concentrations decreased 27.7% on average in 4 weeks storage at RT but EtG was still detectable in all samples with initial EtG concentrations higher than 1 μg/g. Blood and liver samples of four corpses with negative BACs were stored at RT after addition of 0.1 g% ethanol, and no new formation of EtG was observed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Legal Medicine, University Hospital, Albertstrasse 9, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Haiko Schloegl, Sebastian Dresen, Karin Spaczynski, Mylène Stoertzel & Wolfgang Weinmann

  2. Psychiatric University Clinic, Wilhelm Klein Strasse 27, 4025, Basel, Switzerland

    Friedrich Martin Wurst

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  1. Haiko Schloegl
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  2. Sebastian Dresen
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  3. Karin Spaczynski
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  4. Mylène Stoertzel
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  5. Friedrich Martin Wurst
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  6. Wolfgang Weinmann
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Correspondence to Wolfgang Weinmann.

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Schloegl, H., Dresen, S., Spaczynski, K. et al. Stability of ethyl glucuronide in urine, post-mortem tissue and blood samples. Int J Legal Med 120, 83–88 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-005-0012-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-005-0012-7

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