42 hours later I had to give urine to be tested at a laboratory. When I did my urine was almost clear from all the water I had been drinking trying to clean my body out. Will I pass or have a positive for alcohol?

Possibly as that is a serious session.

42 hours later I had to give urine to be tested at a laboratory. When I did my urine was almost clear from all the water I had been drinking trying to clean my body out. Will I pass or have a positive for alcohol?

16 standard drinks (US) or 219.2 grams of pure alcohol (80 proof).

Elimination time was in the vicinity of 10-14 hours for ethanol. BAC = 0.

That left 28-32 hours for clearance of EtG, a metabolite of ethanol that is commonly tested for. Probably not enough time.

If they tested only for systemic alcohol you were easily in the clear. On the other hand if you are in a total-abstinence program where EtG is tested for it will likely be detected.

I get somewhere around 12.5 standard drinks when I figure it... depending on when you started drinking and when you finished, that will give you some more time for the EtG to be eliminated. As Dr Bill stated, it they are just testing for alcohol, you are fine; EtG may be detected, but your chances improve if the cutoff is 500 or higher. Post your results. No news from the MRO is good news.

RNBSN is correct in the number of drinks and was kind enough to draw my attention to distilled liquor bottling standards:

A "pint" of liquor is not a pint of liquor. Rather the "pint" (so called) contains only 375 ml (12.7 fl oz) as opposed to 16 fl oz in standard pint.

That reduction in consumption cuts 4+ hrs off your metabolism putting you within range of passing the EtG.

Dr bill I haven't drank any alcohol recently.. but I've been reading through all your posts... I was wondering.. I honestly forgot I wasn't suppose to have soy sauce... well last night I had some beef and string beans from the chinese joint. Today I was well hydrated had urinated several times before doing my urine EtG. Is there a chance I could fail from incidental exposure? I'm concerned...

dr bill i haven't drank any alcohol recently..but ive been reading through all your posts...i was wondering..i honestly forgot i wasn't suppose to have soy sauce...well last night i had some beef and string beans from the chinese joint. today i was well hydrated had urinated several times before doing my urine etg. is there a chance i could fail from incidental exposure? im concerned...

Sure don't think so.

Your chances of failing are very minimal. While EtG is created as a product of any ethanol it seems to be dose dependent. In other words, a little alcohol... a little EtG. My opionion is based on the following:

A study by Musshoff (2010) Ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate in urine after consumption of various beverages and foods—misleading results? (http://www.springerlink.com/content/pg6761694335q584/)This plus the fact that EtG is "water soluble (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2002.tb02646.x/abstract)" would indicate you have no problem with an EtG test following ingestion of soy sauce.

However, any amount of EtG or EtOH in your urine sample may magnify, (http://www.gtfch.org/cms/images/stories/media/tk/tk78_2/mosbach2011abstsatsymp.pdf) after you provide the sample creating a false-positive. But don't be too worried about that as there is an even greater chance that EtG will degrade in your sample (false-negative (http://www.gtfch.org/cms/images/stories/media/tk/tk77_3/abstractorals.pdf))

Enjoy yourself.

Thanks so much.. I was unable to open that first link but I think I get what your saying! I've passed 6 etgs with one that came back abnormal r/t dilution& every since that it seems like EtG is all I'm being tested for now. I submit to random screens and option 9 is what keeps popping up.. its 31.50... I know its EtG because it printed out EtG on a debit card receipt at one point! This is my last test if I pass I was told! So I'm freaking out about incidental exposure.. like I saw alcohol denat in my teeth whitner && cetyl alcohol in the lotion I applied before bed! So many sites with people claiming to failed over such household items like Febreeze and the above have got me going crazy!