THE EFFECT OF HEAT ON BLOOD SAMPLES CONTAINING ALCOHOL

In a pilot study the effect of heat on blood samples with and without alcohol present was examined. Blood drawn from donors was exposed to temperatures that ranged from 17 degrees C to 46.8 degrees C over a 78-day period. Temperatures were recorded every 5 minutes for the first 30 days. Tubes were retrieved periodically and the alcohol concentration was determined. The starting alcohol concentrations ranged from 0.062 gm/100ml to 0.123 gm/100ml. An average decrease in the alcohol concentration of 0.018 gm/100ml was observed to occur during the initial 3 days of exposure. After the initial decrease there was minimal decrease. No alcohol was detected in any of the samples that were taken from alcohol free donors. Samples exposed to rather harsh conditions, i.e. high heat, will not cause an elevated alcohol concentration. The loss of alcohol during the first 3 days while unrefrigerated suggests that it would be prudent to refrigerate samples whenever possible. (A) For the covering abstract of the conference, see ITRD Abstract No. E201067.