title: Effect of hair care and hair cosmetics on the concentrations of fatty acid ethyl esters in hair as markers of chronically elevated alcohol consumption.
abstract: Fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) can be used as alcohol markers in hair. It was investigated in this study whether this diagnostic method is disturbed by hair care and hair cosmetics. Traces of ethyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate and ethyl stearate were detected in all of 49 frequently applied hair care products by headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The highest concentration was 0.003% in a hair wax. From experiments with separated hair samples of alcoholics as well as from the evaluation of the FAEE concentrations and the data about hair care of 75 volunteers (alcoholics, social drinkers and teetotalers) follows that usual shampooing, permanent wave, dyeing, bleaching or shading are of minor importance as compared to the drinking amount and other individual features. However, false positive results were found after daily treatment with a hair lotion containing 62.5% ethanol, with a deodorant and with a hair spray. As an explanation, it is assumed that FAEE are formed in the sebum glands also after regular topical application of products with a higher ethanol content.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, Humboldt-University, Hannoversche Strasse 6, 10115 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hartwig
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Auwärter
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pragst
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D003836:Deodorants / Q000032:analysis; D005019:Ethyl Ethers / Q000032:analysis*; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006203:Hair Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D009226:Myristates / Q000032:analysis; D009829:Oleic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D010169:Palmitic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D012627:Sebaceous Glands / Q000737:chemistry; D013228:Stearates / Q000032:analysis; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003836:Deodorants; D005019:Ethyl Ethers; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006203:Hair Preparations; D009226:Myristates; D009829:Oleic Acids; D010169:Palmitic Acids; D013228:Stearates; C032396:ethyl myristate; C026345:ethyl stearate; C007680:ethyl palmitate; C033180:ethyl oleate