Citation

Jones AW. J. Forensic Sci. 1989; 34(4): 842-847.

Affiliation

Department of Alcohol Toxicology, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2760587

Abstract

This paper deals with the application of three kinds of breath-alcohol analyzer for clinical and medicolegal purposes. The limited specificity for analyzing ethanol in expired breath has given misleading information with potential serious consequences. Three different methods of alcohol analysis are reported: semiconductor sensing (Alcotest 7310), electrochemical fuel cell (Alcolmeter SM-1), and infrared (IR) absorptiometry (IR Intoximeter 3000). Methanol could not be distinguished from ethanol with any of these breath-test instruments. When nonspecific techniques of ethanol analysis are used, the results must be considered with caution when interfering substances expelled in breath cannot be excluded.

Language: en