Does the presence of bacteria or mold in the sample affect testing?
Bacteria cause a problem only with particular analytes. For instance, bacteria can destroy the alcohol metabolite ethyl glucuronide (EtG). This is why another metabolite (EtS) is also measured, because it is not affected by bacteria. Mold contamination in a sample where sugar is present (urine of a diabetic, patient, or oral fluid obtained after sucking hard candy) can result in the production of alcohol- by way of fermentation of the sample. Alcohol concentrations higher than the fatal range can be observed in these cases.
