Analysis of fatty acid ethyl esters in hair as possible markers of chronically elevated alcohol consumption by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

Abstract Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) are products of the nonoxidative ethanol metabolism, which are known to be detectable in blood only about 24 h after the last alcohol intake. After deposition in hair they should be suitable long-term markers of chronically elevated alcohol consumption. Therefore, a method for the analysis of ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate and ethyl stearate from hair was developed based on the extraction of the hair sample by a dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO)/ n -hexane mixture, separation and evaporation of the n -hexane phase and application of headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to the extract. For use as internal standards, the corresponding D 5 -ethyl esters were prepared. The HS-SPME/GC-MS measurements were automatically performed using a multi-purpose sampler. The detection limits of the FAEE were between 0.01 and 0.04 ng/mg and the reproducibility was between 3.5 and 16%. By application of the method to hair samples of 21 fatalities with known heavy alcohol abuse 0.045–2.4 ng/mg ethyl myristate, 0.35–13.5 ng/mg ethyl palmitate, 0.25–7.7 ng/mg ethyl oleate and 0.05–3.85 ng/mg ethyl stearate were measured. For social drinkers (30–60 g ethanol per week), the concentrations were about one order of magnitude smaller. For 10 teetotalers negative results or traces of ethyl palmitate were found. It was shown by supplementary investigations in single cases that FAEE are also present in sebum, that there is no strong difference in their concentrations between pubic, chest and scalp hair, and that they are detectable in hair segments after a 2 months period of abstinence. From the results follows that the measurement of FAEE concentrations in hair is a useful way for a retrospective detection of alcohol abuse.