A breathalyzer is an instrument to detect the presence of alcohol in a person’s breath. A breathalyzer is in the shape of an old mobile phone and calculates the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in an individual’s breath. The breathalyzer test is mostly administered for drivers by Law Enforcement Agencies, owing to the reason that driving after consuming alcohol is highly dangerous and results in irreparable damages. A shocking statistics reveal that nearly 28 deaths per day in U.S. are due to drunken driving. Therefore it is advisable to conduct an alcohol breathalyzer test to prevent any worst incident or accident and to maintain safety.
Generally the drivers are stopped under suspicion of being drunk, by police officers on the road. Then they are administered the alcohol breathalyzer test and if the result is positive, further confirmation is done at the police station.
Types of alcohol breathalyzer test
There are effectively 2 types of alcohol breathalyzer test. One is PAS (Preliminary Alcohol Screening) and EBT (Evidential Breath Test). Preliminary Alcohol Screening test is the one carried out on the road and the instrument is a small hand held device. Since these machines are not always accurate in calculating an individual’s blood alcohol concentration, Evidential Breath Test is carried out in the police station. These instruments are larger and the results are highly reliable. In short PAS is carried out on the road before confirming and EBT is carried out to further confirm the result.
Process of alcohol breathalyzer test
The alcohol breathalyzer test works on the following principle. After alcohol consumption, it is absorbed by the lining in the stomach in to the blood stream. When blood passes through the lungs, some alcohol undergoes evaporation and enters into the lungs. This concentration of alcohol in lungs is directly related to the concentration of alcohol in the blood. Therefore using the partition ratio, the Blood Alcohol Concentration is calculated from the breath exhaled by the individual.
In the alcohol breathalyzer test, the driver should exhale into the mouth piece of the breathalyzer instrument. The breath is collected in the chamber filled with potassium dichromate and some other chemicals with reddish orange colour. If alcohol is present in the breath, then it reacts with the chemical and changes the orange colour into green colour. The degree in which green colour change has occurred will decide the blood alcohol concentration. This is due to the reason the colour change creates an equivalent electrical current which is converted by alcohol breathalyzer to calculate BAC.
This process takes just a minute for the instrument to display the device. The detector displays any one of the four results namely, “zero,” “pass,” “warn,” and “fail”. If the driver fails the alcohol breathalyzer test then they are arrested and taken to the police station and administered the Evidential Breath Test.
Interpretation of BAC result
In the alcohol breathalyzer test, the BAC value ranges from 0.01 to 0.41. In the U.S. the BAC limit for a driver is 0.08%. It means that there are 0.08 grams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood in that person.
If the BAC ranges from 0.01 to 0.05 it means that the person is relaxed, a little alert and less inhabited. If BAC level is from 0.06 to 0.10, then the person is already emotional, sleepy, numb with reduced memory and less coordination. If the BAC ranges from 0.11 to 0.20, then it indicates that the individual exhibits inappropriate behaviour and is affected by mood shift. When the BAC level ranges from 0.21 to 0.30, then the person exhibits depression, aggression, affected vision and reasoning. When the BAC ranges from 0.1 to 0.40, then it shows that the person is becoming unconscious and moving into coma. If the BAC level is above 0.41, then the condition is very dangerous and potentially fatal.
Portable Alcohol Breathalyzer
Portable Alcohol Breathalyzers are used in vehicles according to the need of the individuals and also by the law enforcement agency. This Portable Alcohol Breathalyzers are installed in personal cars as a part of ignition interlocking systems. The individuals after consuming alcohol can breathe into the Portable Alcohol Breathalyzers, screen themselves and get the BAC value to decide whether they are eligible enough to drive. This system is very effective in avoiding mishaps and ensures safety.
Home Alcohol Breathalyzer
Home Alcohol Breathalyzers are another useful instrument to detect the level of alcohols in human. The individuals after consuming alcohol in their own homes for parties or celebrations can check themselves of the blood alcohol level to know their physical condition and decide if they can drive or not.
How to buy Best Alcohol Breathalyzers?
American Screening Corporation manufactures the Best Alcohol Breathalyzers which use modern technology and provide reliable and precise BAC readings. ASC’s Alcohol Breathalyzers are calibrated periodically and hence give accurate results. They are of high quality, easy to use and cost friendly.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the Alcohol Breathalyzers with different techniques?
Alcohol Breathalyzers use different techniques to measure BAC value. They are Electrochemical fuel cell breathalyzers, Infrared optical sensor breathalyzers and Semiconductor breathalyzers.
2. How long can a breathalyzer detect alcohol?
Alcohol Breathalyzers can detect the presence of alcohol in human blood up to 18 hours after consuming alcohol.
3. How does a Alcohol Breathalyzer detect blood alcohol level?
After alcohol consumption, it is absorbed by the lining in the stomach in to the blood stream. When blood passes through the lungs, some alcohol undergoes evaporation and enters into the lungs. This concentration of alcohol in lungs is directly related to the concentration of alcohol in the blood.
4. What is meant by BAC?
BAC stands for Blood Alcohol Concentration. This value is very helpful in understanding the level of alcohol in ones blood and also to decide if they are eligible to drive. In general a person is capable of driving if the BAC level is within 0.08%
5. What are the factors which affect the BAC value?
BAC value is influenced by body composition, drugs taken, gender of the individual, the contents of stomach which are already present and the strength of the drinks consumed.
