What You Need to Know About Alcohol Testing

Alcohol testing determines how much alcohol a person consumed by measuring the level of alcohol in their system. This test is used for medical, legal, and even personal purposes. The results may vary depending on the type used. Here are the different types of alcohol testing:

1. Hair Testing

This test is one of the most accurate methods because it can provide the history of a person’s alcohol intake for the past months. The test looks for Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) and Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters (FAEE), two direct markers of alcohol consumption.

Different kinds of hair can be tested, but the accuracy depends on which one is used. Head hair is the most ideal. They grow at relatively consistent rates, and they can be used for detecting substance abuse patterns through segmented testing. Different body hair can still be used if head hair isn’t an option, but they might not be as accurate. Arm, chest, pubic, or axillary hair can be a substitute. This test will require around 200 strands of hair.

2. Fingernail Testing

EtG can also be examined through fingernail testing. Substances like alcohol pass from the blood vessels and are then trapped in the keratin fibers of the fingernails. Because they are four times thicker than hair, more alcohol indicators can get trapped. This can provide a detection period of around 3-6 months after alcohol abuse.

3. Blood Testing

Blood testing has been proven to be accurate. For decades, this type of testing was used to test alcohol consumption. This test measures the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood.

There are alcohol biomarkers that can be measured in the blood, like Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and Phosphatidylethanol (PEth). CDT helps show chronic alcohol abuse, and PEth shows the amount of alcohol someone consumes. The latter is mostly used in research studies.

4. Urine Testing

A urine alcohol test is done to confirm if a person has consumed ethanol. Like blood, EtG can be found in urine. The duration it is present depends on how much alcohol a person consumed. EtG could be present for up to 48 hours if you had a few drinks and up to 72 hours if you had more. This test can detect even small traces of alcohol. However, it cannot determine how much alcohol a person drank.

When To Get an Alcohol Test

There are different instances when you might need an alcohol test. It can be a requirement for employment. When applying for work, testing may be required. There are also companies that have a mandatory workplace testing program for their employees. The test is also required for legal reasons like alcohol-related crimes and offenses. It is also used to monitor people who are abstaining from alcohol.

To know which kind of testing is best for you, Contact Drug Screen Compliance to schedule an appointment for an individual alcohol test.