An improved method for the determination of acetaldehyde in human blood with minimal ethanol interference.

A sensitive method for the determination of acetaldehyde in human blood is described which involves the derivatization of acetaldehyde with semicarbazide followed by head-space gas chromatographic analysis of acetaldehyde in plasma samples after acid hydrolysis of the semicarbazone derivative. Quantitative recovery of acetaldehyde from human blood was achieved and interference from ethanol, a major problem associated with earlier methods, was negligible.