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Published:
Journal of Analytical Toxicology,
ISSN 0146-4760,
Volume 26, Number 4, May/June
pp. 201-204
Comparison of Urinary Excretion Characteristics of Ethanol
and Ethyl Glucuronide
Helen Dahl[1], Nikolai Stephanson[2], Olof Beck[2],
and Anders Helander[1]
Departments of [1]Clinical Neuroscience and [2]Clinical Pharmacology, Karolinska
Institute and Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
This study compared the urinary
excretion characteristics of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) with that of ethanol, with
focus on the effect of water-induced diuresis. Six healthy volunteers ingested
an ethanol dose of 0.5 g/kg (range 25.0–41.5 g) as 5% (v/v) beer in 30
min and the same volume of water after 3 h. Urine collections were made before
starting the experiment and at timed intervals over 31.5 h. The concentration
of EtG was determined by an LC–MS method (LOQ = 0.1 mg/L). The urine samples
collected immediately before starting drinking were all negative for ethanol
and EtG, thus confirming that the participants had not recently ingested alcohol.
Intake of beer resulted in a marked increase in excreted urine volume and a
concomitant drop in creatinine concentration. The concentration of ethanol peaked
at a mean value of 17 mmol/L in the 1.5-h urine collection. Except for one subject,
EtG was first detectable (range 0.9–5.5 mg/L) at 1 h. Intake of water at
3 h produced another increase in urine volume and a drop in creatinine. The
ethanol concentration curve was not influenced by the water diuresis, whereas
this caused a distinct drop in the EtG concentration. When EtG was expressed
relative to the creatinine value, this ratio was seemingly not affected by the
intake of water. The ethanol concentration returned to zero at 6.5 h, whereas
EtG was still detectable for up to 22.5–31.5 h, albeit at low levels in
the end (< 1 mg/L). Only about 0.02% of the administered dose of ethanol
(on a molar basis) was recovered in the urine as EtG. The results demonstrated
that EtG remains detectable in the urine for many hours after the ethanol itself
has been eliminated. Moreover, it was possible to lower the concentration of
EtG by drinking large amounts of water prior to voiding, whereas this strategy
did not influence the EtG/creatinine ratio or the concentration of ethanol. Reproduction
of editorial content of this journal is prohibited without publisher’s
permission.
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