Citation

Woodall KL, Palmentier JPFP. J. Can. Soc. Forensic Sci. 2017; 50(2): 84-89.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Canadian Society of Forensic Science, Publisher Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00085030.2017.1281634

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

It is well known that volatile substances on the breath of test subjects have the potential to interfere with infrared-based breath alcohol testing instruments. This case report involves a 68-year-old male who was arrested for suspected alcohol-impaired driving. He worked for a company where he was exposed to acetone and toluene. The subject ultimately provided two breath samples into the Intoxilyzer® 8000C resulting in two "Interferent Detect" messages. Subsequent analysis of a blood sample using headspace gas chromatography detected: ethanol at 101 mg/100 mL, acetone at 17 mg/100 mL, isopropanol at 10 mg/100 mL, methanol at 26 mg/100 mL and toluene (<2.5 mg/L). This case provides an example of two "Interferent Detect" messages obtained from a driver and demonstrates the ability of the Intoxilyzer® 8000C to detect the presence of volatile substances other than ethanol on the breath of a drinking driver.

Keywords

acetone; acétone; alcohol; alcool; Breath; état d’ébriété; Haleine; impaired; interférence; Interferent; Intoxilyzer; isopropanol; methanol; méthanol