Headspace GC-FID
Definition
Gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection on the vapour above a heated sealed vial. Gold-standard quantitative method for ethanol in blood, urine, vitreous humor and seized liquor.
Related terms
- ADH Assay
- Alcohol dehydrogenase enzymatic assay. Ethanol plus NAD+ gives acetaldehyde plus NADH; NADH absorbance at 340 nm is proportional to ethanol concentration. Fast...
- BAC
- Blood Alcohol Concentration. Mass of ethanol per unit volume of whole blood. Indian legal cut-off is 30 mg per 100 mL (0.03...
- Fuel-Cell Breath Analyser
- Electrochemical sensor: ethanol oxidises at a platinum electrode generating a current proportional to BrAC. Specific for ethanol, used in Drager Alcotest and...
- IR Breath Analyser
- Infrared absorption at about 3.4 micrometres (C-H stretch) or 9.5 micrometres (C-O stretch). Specific and quantitative; used in Intoxilyzer 8000 and evidential...
- Putrefactive Ethanol
- Ethanol produced post-mortem by microbial fermentation of glucose, lactate and amino acids. Can give false-positive BAC; vitreous humor is the matrix of...
- Wet-Bath Simulator
- Calibration accessory holding a 0.10 g per L aqueous ethanol solution at 34 degrees Celsius. The vapour above gives a known reference...
- Widmark Formula
- A = r × W × C, where A is total alcohol in body (g), W is body weight (kg), C is...
Explained in
- Analysis of Ethyl Alcohol in Beverages, Blood and BreathGas chromatography with flame ionisation detection on the vapour above a heated sealed vial. Gold-standard quantitative method for ethanol in blood, urine, vit...