Blog
Drug testing: Drug Metabolites (Part 1)
What is a metabolite? When a drug has been consumed, the body breaks down the drug, in order to eliminate the drug from the body. During this “breakdown” chemical alteration to the main drug occurs and therefore creates a different substance; a metabolite. Drug metabolites are helpful in... Read More
Alcohol Blood Testing: Hair strand testing combined with PEth
Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in the blood is a highly specific, stable, and sensitive marker that is capable of distinguishing between teetotallers, social, chronic and excessive drinking behaviour. It is considered a direct biomarker of alcohol meaning it is only produced after someone has... Read More
Alcohol Blood Testing: Traditional Vs PEth Testing
Traditional Tests Include 1. Liver Function Testing (LFT) is a medical test used to assess the health of the liver. When chronic excessive alcohol levels have been consumed, it can cause the liver to be damaged. Therefore, analysing the health of the liver can help to determine whether an... Read More
EtG and FAEE, the Two Key Alcohol Markers
What is EtG? Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG) is a direct biomarker and is specific to alcohol; meaning it is only produced in the presence of alcohol. EtG is mainly incorporated into the hair and nails from the bloodstream via the hair bulb (for hair) and via the nail bed and nail root (for nails). This... Read More
Alcohol containing products impact on your alcohol results of hair strand testing (HST)
The impact of alcohol-containing hair products on alcohol hair strand testing (HST) is a common question that arises in alcohol monitoring cases. For testing historical alcohol use in hair, there are two main markers of alcohol which are tested for; Ethylglucuronide (EtG) and Fatty Acid... Read More
What is an expert witness report and how to get one
The legal world is something of a minefield for those who are not trained in the art of understanding it. With complicated laws, technical exceptions, and a shedload of paperwork involved in each case, it really pays to have an expert opinion that can add weight to your cause. For all of... Read More
How does cosmetic treatment impact hair alcohol and drugs tests
Cosmetic treatments: Hair is a robust sample for testing drugs and alcohol and has 3 morphological regions; the cuticle, cortex and medulla. The cuticle is the outer part of the hair, and it consists of a sheath of overlapping scale cells that protect the bulk of the hair, the cortex. The... Read More
How to avoid a false positive drug test and the factors that can cause it
A common question that the team at DNA Legal receive is what will cause a false positive drugs test? You may have read in one of our other blog posts the fact that that we’ve mentioned one of the flaws in drug testing is that there is such a thing as a ‘false positive’ if the laboratory does not... Read More
Job Sectors and their Workplace Drug & Alcohol Testing: Procedures and Policies
In the UK, the extent of drug & alcohol abuse in the workplace is not often discussed yet over one million people per year are estimated to be abusing drugs & alcohol whilst at work. However, most workplace testing policies only apply to industries where safety is of the utmost... Read More
Why alcohol markers EtG and FAEE (EtPa) cannot be segmented in hair
Introduction: Hair is used as a robust sample for drug and alcohol testing. Due to the way it grows and the way drugs and alcohol are absorbed into the hair, it can provide a wide range of information about the drug and alcohol consumption history of an individual. Unlike drug testing in head... Read More
What is a cut-off level and how do DNA Legal use them in their expert reports
What is a cut-off level? Cut off levels are useful tools for the understanding of drug results. This is because the cut off levels can minimise the chances of false positive results. False positive results can occur from external contamination due to environmental exposure, such as... Read More