DrBill100
May 10, 2010, 08:30 AM
Ethylglucuronide (EtG) testing is conducted primarily in a laboratory setting using Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) technology. The equipment is used in analytical chemistry to separate volatile components of a mixture. GC/MS is capable of detecting minute amounts of EtG, below 100 ng/ml.
This type of equipment is never found on site, ex: workplace, office settings, etc. where tests are usually conducted by Immunoassay (IA) which is less reliable and more prone to false readings. IA usually tests directly for ethanol (EtOH) while the GC/MS is testing for the longer lasting metabolite EtG.
A positive IA will often lead to confirmation by GC/MS.