Determination of Ethanol and Aromatics in Blood by Headspace Portable Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-PGC-MS)

Abstract

Ethanol abuse is increasingly becoming a global issue, adversely affecting both society and families. In blood alcohol concentration (BAC) detection, traditional techniques have long experimental cycles and harsh experimental conditions and often fail to produce timely results. Consequently, achieving swift and precise on-site detection of ethanol poisoning in humans poses a formidable challenge in analytical science. We designed a novel assay for swift on-site analysis of ethanol and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) poisoning in humans using a custom portable headspace injector (portable HS) and portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (portable GC-MS). This setup, known for its lightweight design and speed, allows on-site sampling and delivers rapid results. We established a calibration curve (R2 > 0.99) for ethanol in blood using portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (portable GC-MS). This on-site blood alcohol concentration (BAC) assay proves simpler than traditional methods, enabling rapid analysis of each sample within a short timeframe and requiring only a small blood volume (0.1 ml). In addition to our investigation on ethanol, we developed a portable method for detecting BTEX in blood. This method provides a favorable coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.99) for various substances, thereby broadening the utility of portable mass spectrometry in areas such as traffic inspection and forensic identification.