Table 2.
Main Characteristics of Existing Alcohol Biomarkers
| Marker | Sample | Time Frame | Cutoff Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDT | Blood | 2–3 weeks | 1.7% (percentage of transferrin) Sensitivity 46%‐73%, specificity 70% |
| EtG and EtS | Hair | Up to several months | Abstinence <7 pg/mg Excessive drink >30 pg/g |
| Urine | Up to 3–5 days after complete elimination of alcohol from the body | Abstinence <0.5mg/L (sensitivity 89.2%, specificity 98.8%) Active alcohol >1mg/l | |
| Blood | Up to 48 hours | 100–250 μg/L | |
| FAEEa | Hair | 1‐month period |
Excessive intake: • >200 pg/mg (hair measuring 0–3 cm) • >400 pg/mg (hair measuring 0–6 cm) |
| PEth | Blood (capillary blood sampling and analysis on dry blood spot) | 2–4 weeks |
Abstinence: 20–150 ng/mlb
Excessive drinking: 210–800 ng/mlb |
Abbreviations: CDT, carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin; EtS, ethyl sulfate.
a
The sum of four FAEE: ethyl myristate, palmitate, stearate, and oleate.
b
Depends on the methods (liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry or high‐performance liquid chromatography).