Biological aspects of breath-alcohol analysis.

Abstract

We studied several relevant biological aspects of breath-alcohol analysis in 55 healthy men and women, after alcohol ingestion and during breath-alcohol analysis with a typical 4th-generation instrument. We measured breath volumes, delivery pressures, and end-expiratory temperatures, with the following findings: End-expiratory temperature, 32.41-35.69 °C (mean, 34.53 °C); forced vital capacity, 1825-6550 ml (mean, 4038 ml); maximum expiration after normal inspiration, 1180-4550 ml ( mean, 2730 ml); breath delivery pressure into a prototype Borg-Warner Model P-7 breath-alcohol apparatus, 8-50 inches H2O (mean, 21.3). These data and other pertinent findings from this study should assist in more rational design of breath-sampling systems in forthcoming breath-alcohol instruments and in developing valid procedures for their use.