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Alcohol Blood Test (PEth)

PEth Drug Screening Test results image number 2

$142.00

+ $6.00 Physician Service Fee

HSA/FSA Accepted

Check your blood for PEth, a highly specific marker of alcohol use. PEth reports a measured level that reflects drinking over the past 2-to-4 weeks, so it can also be used to track changes over time. Read more

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This blood test checks for phosphatidylethanol, or PEth, a substance that forms in your body only when you consume alcohol. Because PEth lasts longer in your system than alcohol itself, it can reflect drinking over roughly the last 2-to-4 weeks, a much longer look-back than a urine or breath test. In general, the more someone drinks during that time, the higher the PEth level tends to be. It’s designed to pick up sustained or heavier drinking, so a single drink or very light drinking may not show up.

PEth is highly specific to alcohol, so unlike some urine tests, it isn’t triggered by everyday products like hand sanitizer or mouthwash. Your result shows whether PEth was detected, and if so, a measured level in ng/mL against a desired range under 20ng/mL. Because this is a measured value, it can also be used to follow changes over time.

This test can be a helpful and objective way to understand your own alcohol use over a longer period than a urine test allows and without needing to rely on self-report or memory. This may be useful, for example, if you’re working toward drinking less or staying alcohol-free and want an objective measure to track your progress. Limiting alcohol can matter for long-term health: the US Surgeon General’s 2025 advisory identified alcohol as the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, and drinking can also significantly negatively impact long-term outcomes of people with chronic liver conditions – the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that alcohol is involved in nearly half of liver-disease deaths in the US. If you only want to check for alcohol use in the past few days, Quest also offers the Alcohol Drug Screening Test.

No doctor’s visit needed. Buy this alcohol blood screening test, visit a nearby Quest location, and get fast results.

Please note: This test is for personal insight only and isn’t intended for legal, court, or employment use. As such, it does not include chain of custody or Medical Review Officer services.

Sample type: Blood
Test type: In Person
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This test may be right for you if you want an objective, longer-term (2-to-4 week) look at your alcohol use. Consider it if you:

Are working toward drinking less or staying alcohol-free and want to track your progress over time
Have been advised to limit or avoid alcohol for your health and want to monitor your own use. For example, if you have a chronic liver condition such as:
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
- Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH)
- Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD)
- Hepatitis B (HBV)
- Hepatitis C (HCV)
Want a longer look-back period to check for exposure – about 2-to-4 weeks – rather than a urine or breath test (generally hours to days)
Want a result that’s highly specific to alcohol and isn’t subject to interference by everyday products like hand sanitizer or mouthwash
Prefer a measured level you can follow over time rather than a simple positive or negative

This is not right for you if you need a test for legal, court, or employment purposes. Additionally, this test is not right for you if you only want to check for alcohol use in the past few days – the Alcohol Drug Screening Test is an option for this.

This test measures phosphatidylethanol (PEth), a substance your body forms in the blood after you drink alcohol (ethanol).

It’s reported as two related forms of PEth, both compared against a desired range under 20 ng/mL:

PEth 16:0/18:1 (POPEth) — the main form measured, used as the primary marker of alcohol use
PEth 16:0/18:2 (PLPEth) — a second form that helps confirm the result

Both are measured from a small blood sample using a highly sensitive laboratory method (LC-MS/MS).

A positive PEth result is generally viewed as a more specific indicator of alcohol consumption over time when compared to other alcohol biomarkers (eg, ethyl glucuronide [EtG]/ethyl sulfate [EtS]) that are more likely to be formed from incidental exposure to sources containing alcohol (eg, hand sanitizers, mouthwash, etc).¹

Please note:

This test does not include any chain of custody services or procedures
There is no Medical Review Officer certification available with this test
There is no Medical Review Officer services provided in conjunction with the reporting of testing results

Purchaser: You must be 18 years of age or older to purchase a test on questhealth.com.

Patient: This test can be performed on patients between 18 and 100 years old.

Sample collection: This test requires specimen collection at a Quest Diagnostics location or through Quest Mobile® where available, a convenient option for in-home sample collection*. Collection is not available in AZ, HI, or PR.

*Check your zip code here for service availability, not available in all locations. Quest Mobile is currently only available for individuals ages 18+.

No special preparation is required.

Results are typically available within 5-7 business days of providing your sample—this includes sample processing, testing, and a clinical review before release.

You will receive a secure link to your email when your results are ready. They will be available in a clear, easy-to-read report. If you have, or create, a MyQuest® account, your results may also be available there—and for larger panel tests, you may be able to see individual results as each becomes available.

Independent healthcare providers are available to discuss questions or concerns you may have regarding test results.

How it works

questhealth.com offers 150+ consumer-initiated Quest Diagnostics lab tests to empower you to have more control over your health journey. Choose from a variety of test types that best suit your needs.

In-person
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No doctor visit is required for purchase, but an independent healthcare provider is involved throughout the process.

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Register your test
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Book a visit to one of 2000+ Quest locations.

Visit Quest for sample collection

Complete your test sample collection during your scheduled appointment.

Get fast results

Access results online as soon as they’re available. You will be emailed when they are ready. Discuss your results with an independent healthcare provider at no extra cost. Treatment options may be available.

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+ in-home sample collection

No doctor visit required for purchase. If in-home service is available in your area, purchase for an additional $79 fee.

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Register your test
& schedule an appointment

After you make a purchase, register your test and Quest Mobile will contact you to schedule an in-home sample collection appointment.

In-home sample collection

A Quest Mobile phlebotomist will collect your sample and deliver it to Quest Diagnostics.

Get fast results

Please note: Quest Mobile is currently only available for individuals ages 18+.

FAQs

How far back can this test detect alcohol use?

PEth can reflect drinking over roughly the past 2-to-4 weeks and may stay detectable longer in people who drink heavily over time. That’s a much longer window than a breath test (hours) or a urine alcohol test (up to a few days).

How is this different from a urine or breath alcohol test?

A breath test shows alcohol in your system right now, and a urine alcohol test (EtG/EtS) looks back a few days. PEth is a blood test that looks back about 2-to-4 weeks and is highly specific to alcohol, so it’s less likely to be affected by everyday products that can trigger a urine test.

Does this measure how drunk someone is right now?

No. The PEth test isn’t a breathalyzer and doesn’t measure current intoxication or blood alcohol level. It reflects drinking over the past few weeks, not how impaired someone might have been.

Will a single drink or light drinking show up?

The PEth test is designed to detect sustained or heavier drinking, so a single drink or very light drinking may not register. In general, the more someone drinks over the detection window, the higher the PEth level tends to be. EtG, as measured in Quest’s Alcohol Drug Screening Test, is generally viewed as more sensitive for immediate use so is more likely to be impacted by light drinking but over a short time window (eg, 80 hours); whereas PEth is a better indicator of drinking over a longer time window so is less likely to be impacted by a single drink or very light drinking.

Can everyday products like hand sanitizer or mouthwash cause a positive result?

No, unlike many urine tests, these products are not likely to impact your result in a meaningful way (ie, to push your level above the desired range of under 20 ng/mL on their own). Because of the way it is formed. PEth is generally considered a more reliable indicator of alcohol consumption over time and one that is far less likely to be impacted by hand sanitizer, mouthwash, or similar alcohol-containing hygiene products.

What will my results look like?

Your result shows whether PEth was detected and, if so, a measured level in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) compared against a desired range under 20 ng/mL. Because it’s a measured number, you can follow changes over time. An independent healthcare provider can help you understand what your specific result means.

Can I use this test to track my progress over time?

Yes. Because PEth, when detected, is reported as a measured level, many people retest over time to follow changes — for example, while working toward drinking less or staying alcohol-free.

I’ve been advised to cut back on alcohol for my health. Could this test help?

It may. Some people who are limiting alcohol for their health, use this PEth test to objectively monitor their own use over time. It’s meant to support your own awareness, not replace your provider’s advice and we encourage you to share your results with a healthcare provider to support your journey.

Can I use these results for legal, court, or employment purposes?

No. This test is for personal insight only. It doesn’t include chain-of-custody handling or medical review officer (MRO) certification, so it isn’t intended for legal, court, or employment use.

Does this test include chain of custody services or Medical Review Officer services?

No, this test does not include any chain of custody services or procedures. There is no Medical Review Officer certification available with this test. There is no Medical Review Officer services provided in conjunction with the reporting of testing results.

Can I buy this test for someone else?

No. This test needs to be purchased and registered by the person being tested who will then provide their own blood sample at a Quest location and must meet eligibility requirements. It’s designed for people checking their own alcohol use.

Can I use my FSA or HSA funds to purchase tests at questhealth.com?

You may be able to use your FSA or HSA funds to purchase lab tests at questhealth.com. Please review your FSA/HSA plan or check with a tax professional to confirm specific requirements for individual eligibility.

Are tests purchased from questhealth.com covered by my health insurance?

Tests purchased on questhealth.com are intended for individuals paying directly—we do not bill insurance, and purchases cannot be submitted for insurance reimbursement.

If your doctor ordered a lab test for you and you are looking to book an appointment for sample collection, you can schedule an appointment here https://appointment.questdiagnostics.com/as-home.

For other questions related to a lab test your doctor ordered for you, including billing and results, you can visit the main Quest Diagnostics site here https://www.questdiagnostics.com.

Our references

Ulwelling W, Smith K. The PEth blood test in the security environment: what it is; why it is important; and interpretative guidelines. J Forensic Sci. 2018;63(6):1634-1640. doi:10.1111/1556-4029.13874

Schröck A, Pfäffli M, König S, Weinmann W. Application of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in whole blood in comparison to ethyl glucuronide in hair (hEtG) in driving aptitude assessment (DAA). Int J Legal Med. 2016;130(6):1527-1533. doi:10.1007/s00414-016-1394-4
U.S. Health and Human Services. Alcohol and Cancer Risk. Accessed August 5, 2026. https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/alcohol-cancer/index.html
Gary M Reisfield, Scott A Teitelbaum, Joseph T Jones, Dana Mason, Max Bleiweis, Ben Lewis, Blood Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) Concentrations following Intensive Use of an Alcohol-based Hand Sanitizer, Journal of Analytical Toxicology, Volume 46, Issue 9, November 2022, Pages 979–990, https://doi.org/10.1093/jat/bkab115
Neumann J, Beck O, Böttcher M. Phosphatidylethanol, ethyl glucuronide and ethanol in blood as complementary biomarkers for alcohol consumption. J Mass Spectrom Adv Clin Lab. 2021 Oct 5;22:3-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jmsacl.2021.09.005. PMID: 34939049; PMCID: PMC8662321.

Tests purchased on questhealth.com are only for individuals who intend to pay directly for testing and do not want to submit a claim for reimbursement under their health insurance.

Alcohol Blood Test (PEth)