Analysis of Alcohol Compounds in Blood (1)

Measurements of oxygenated compounds and alcohols, primarily ethanol, in blood, are frequently performed in forensic medicine, emergency medicine, and other fields. In forensic medicine, such measurements are utilized to determine levels of intoxication from alcohol consumption and to evaluate criminality. In emergency medicine, they are utilized to distinguish between alcohol consumption and other medical cases. For such analyses, systems equipped with a headspace sampler and GC-FID detector are often used.
These measurements must be convenient and quick, and provide high-accuracy results. The Shimadzu HS-20 headspace sampler is capable of meeting these demands. When the HS-20, GC-2010 Plus, and a workstation (LabSolutions LC/GC) are used in combination, everything including the headspace conditions and GC conditions can be controlled from the workstation, which makes it easy to configure settings and operate the system.
This report examines the repeatability and linearity of a standard ethanol solution, and confirms the separation of other oxygenated compound standard solutions. The analysis presented here was performed using the HS-20 and the Rtx-BACPlus series of high-separation columns specifically designed for the analysis of alcohol in blood.