Blood Alcohol Stability In Postmortem Blood Samples

Ethyl alcohol is a 2-carbon alcohol with a molecular formula of CH3CH2OH (Smith, 2014). Ethyl alcohol is an inebriating substance commonly found in alcoholic beverages. This substance acts as a central nervous system depressant and is commonly referred to as a “psychoactive drug,” which is capable of altering brain function. This substance can be lethal if consumed in high doses. The amount of ethyl alcohol that is consumed can be quantified by blood alcohol content (BAC). BAC is measured as weight per unit of volume and it is commonly written and described as a percentage. The percentage of blood alcohol content will indicate an individual’s level of intoxication. An individual can risk the possibility of death when their blood alcohol content ranges from 0.400% to 0.500%, or exceeds 0.500%. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of ethyl alcohol in postmortem specimens are commonly explored with the use of gas chromatography. Gas chromatography can assist in determining the amount of ethyl alcohol present at the time of death. This information could reveal whether a high level of ethyl alcohol contributed to the cause of death.
The authors created a comprehensive experimental design to examine the changes in blood alcohol content due to the loss of ethyl alcohol concentration caused by oxidation, or the increase of ethyl alcohol concentration due to degradation caused by the influence of microorganisms. The authors evaluated the stability of ethyl alcohol in postmortem blood samples that were stored in a refrigerator at a temperature of -20◦C, within a 6 month period. The blood alcohol concentration was measured twice. The first measurement was taken 1 to 4 days after being taken from the Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology and then measured again after some period of time within