Use of Ethanol-Based Hand Disinfectants: Source of Increased Ethyl Glucuronide Levels in Hair?

AIM: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic increasing the use of hand disinfectants, we investigated the effect of frequent use of ethanol-based hand disinfectants (EBHD) on the levels of the alcohol marker ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in hair. METHOD: Hair samples were collected from 10 health professionals (8 nondrinkers, 2 rarely drinking individuals) and EtG was examined in hair. RESULT: EtG (~2 pg/mg) was only detected in the hair sample of a nondrinker using EBHD 60-70 times per working day. CONCLUSION: Our data provide no evidence that frequent EBHD use results in hair EtG levels above the recommended Society of Hair Testing cutoff for repeated alcohol consumption (5 pg/mg).