Metabolites of Ethanol

Nonoxidative metabolites of ethanol (EtOH) have been the subject of much attention in recent years due to their diagnostic value. Due to the frequency of alcohol abuse throughout the world, forensic toxicologists are frequently confronted with the need to determine EtOH consumption. This article describes EtOH metabolites, specifically ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulfate, ethyl phosphate, fatty acid ethyl esters, and phosphatidylethanol in humans. Methods of detection of the metabolites, interpretations of the measured EtOH metabolites in specimens such as plasma/blood, urine, hair, and vitreous humor, as well as information on the relative advantages of various specimens are described.