Ethyl Glucuronide Concentration in Hair of Detainees: A Preliminary Study |
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Authors: | Jennifer Paola Pascali Ph.D. Diego Palumbo M.Sc. Federica Umani Ronchi Ph.D. Francesco Mari Ph.D. Alessia Fioravanti M.Sc. Elisabetta Bertol Ph.D. |
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Affiliation: | 1. Forensic Toxicology Unit, Department of Health Science, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy;2. Department of SAIMLAL, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy |
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Abstract: | Through the measurement of ethyl glucuronide in hair (hETG), it is possible to assess chronic alcohol abuse over time. In this paper, we present a study on hETG in Italian prison inmates. Analyses were performed by LC-MS according to a previously published method. Results were evaluated using the cut-offs established by the Society of Hair Testing. Positives samples (ETG > 30 pg/mg) accounted for 6% of all subjects, with concentrations ranging from 42 pg/mg up to 270 pg/mg, abstinent subjects (ETG < 7 pg/mg) accounted for 88%, and moderate alcohol consumption (7 < ETG < 30 pg/mg) for 6% of the subjects. No females displayed ETG values above 30 pg/mg. Among positive samples, only two subjects did not declare heavy alcohol consumption and were found strongly positive at 210 and 270 pg/mg. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first study on ETG hair concentration on prison inmates. |
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Keywords: | forensic science forensic toxicology ethyl glucuronide ethanol consumption prison detainee |
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