Datamaster 2000 Breath Alcohol Test

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A breath alcohol test, also called an alcohol breath test, is without a doubt the most commonly employed method of testing for an individual's blood alcohol level or blood alcohol concentration in the United States. 

A breathalyzer is a breath alcohol testing device that is used for estimating a person's blood alcohol content (BAC) from a breath sample. In the United States, the Datamaster 2000 breath alcohol tester is one of the most common breathalyzer brand names currently in use.

How Breathalyzers Work and Some of Their Deficiencies

Breathalyzers do not directly measure blood alcohol concentration or content.  Measuring blood alcohol content (BAC) requires the analysis of a blood sample.  Breathalyzers, rather, estimate blood alcohol concentration or content indirectly by measuring the amount of alcohol in a person's breath.

A major issue with some breathalyzers, such as the Datamaster 2000, is that they not only detect the ethyl alcohol found in alcohol beverages, but also in other substances that have a similar molecular structure.  Stated differently, the "problem" breathalyzers identify any compound containing the methyl group molecular structure.

And the issue with this is that more than one hundred compounds can be found in a human's breath at any one time and 70% to 80% of these compounds contain the methyl group molecular structure.

The upshot of this is that these methyl group molecular structures will be incorrectly identified and labeled as ethyl alcohol.  Ironically, the more ethyl group substances the breathalyzer detects, the higher the false blood alcohol content estimate will be.

The Breath Alcohol Test

An alcohol breath test, also known as a breath alcohol test, is by far the most frequently employed method of testing for a person’s blood alcohol level or blood alcohol concentration (BAC). 

While not as reliable or as accurate as a blood alcohol test or an alcohol blood test, the breath alcohol test is the most economical and the most convenient alcohol testing method for the police and the least invasive, embarrassing, or painful for the individual receiving the test.

One of the most frequent causes of false high breath alcohol test readings is the presence of mouth alcohol.  In fact, products such as breath spray or mouthwash can “fool” breathalyzers by substantially raising test results.

Listerine, for instance, contains approximately 27% alcohol. If an individual were to rinse his or her mouth with Listerine a few seconds before taking a breath alcohol test, for example, this could certainly produce a false BAC reading.

In examining a person’s breath sample, the breath alcohol testing instrument's internal computing mechanism is calibrated to elicit results based on the assumption that the alcohol in the breath sample came from air exhaled from deep within the person’s lungs (i.e., alveolar air). 

The reality of the situation, however, is that for a number of reasons, the alcohol may have come from the person’s stomach, throat, or mouth.  To help prevent mouth-alcohol contamination, certified breath alcohol test operators are trained to vigilantly observe an individual for at least 15 to 20 minutes before administering the breath alcohol test.

Findings by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that people who are diabetics or dieters can have acetone levels that are hundreds, if not a thousand of times higher than people who are not diabetics or dieters.  The key concern here is that acetone is one of the many substances that can be falsely detected as ethyl alcohol by some breathalyzers.

There's also numerous products found in the environment that can lead to erroneous BAC results with breathalyzers. Some these products include substances or compounds found in cleaning fluids, paint removers, celluloid, gasoline, and lacquers.  

Other common substances that can result in false BAC levels are alcohol, blood, or vomit in the person's mouth.  False BAC readings can also be triggered by police radios, moisture, tobacco smoke, cell phones, electrical interference, and dirt.

Breathalyzers can be very sensitive to temperature and will result in false readings if they are not recalibrated or adjusted to compensate for ambient or surrounding air temperatures.

Furthermore, the temperature of the person being tested is also important. More to the point, each degree (in Fahrenheit) in the subject's body temperature above 98.6 can result in a relatively large elevation (about 8%) in apparent BAC. 

A person's breathing rate can also significantly affect breathalyzer results.  For example, one study showed that the BAC readings of individuals who ran up a flight of stairs decreased 11% to 14%.  Furthermore, when these individuals ran up the stairs a second time, their BAC readings decreased 22% to 25%.

Another study demonstrated similar results (a decrease in BAC of 15%) in individuals who hyperventilated or who exercised vigorously. Moreover, hyperventilation for just 20 seconds has been shown to lower the breathalyzer BAC readings by about 10%.  Conversely, individuals who hold their breath for 30 seconds can increase the breathalyzer BAC results by around 15%.

The failure of law enforcement officers to use the breathalyzers correctly and to properly maintain and re-calibrate the units when necessary also lead to false test scores. 

The Breath Alcohol Test: Breathalyzers

Breathalyzer tests are the most common form of breath alcohol tests and have the following characteristics:

• They do not directly measure blood alcohol concentration or content.
  
  
• They estimate blood alcohol content or concentration indirectly by measuring the amount of alcohol in a person's breath.
  
  
• They not only detect the ethyl alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, but also in other substances that have a similar molecular structure.

• They can result in false blood alcohol content readings if law enforcement officers fail to use the breathalyzers properly or fail to properly re-calibrate or maintain the devices when necessary.
  
  
• They can result in false blood alcohol concentration readings from compounds or substances found in lacquers, cleaning fluids, celluloid, paint removers, and gasoline.
  
  
• They can lead to false blood alcohol content results from vomit, blood, or alcohol present in the person's mouth from products such as mouth spray or mouthwash.
  
  
• They can result in false blood alcohol concentration readings due to an individuals's breathing rate caused by hyperventilation, a person holding his or her breath, or vigorous exercise.
  
  
• They can result in false blood alcohol content readings caused from tobacco police radios, smoke, dirt, electrical interference, moisture, and cell phones.

The Datamaster 2000 Breath Alcohol Test:  Conclusion

A breathalyzer is a device that is used for estimating a person's blood alcohol concentration from a breath sample.  The Datamaster 2000 blood alcohol test is one of the most common breathalyzer brand names currently in use in the United States.

One of the most common causes of false high breath alcohol test results is the presence of mouth alcohol. Indeed, products such as breath spray or mouthwash can “fool” breath alcohol testers such as breathalyzers by significantly raising test results.  Listerine mouthwash, for example, contains roughly 27% alcohol. 

If a person were to rinse his or her mouth with Listerine a few seconds before taking a breath alcohol test, for instance, this could easily produce a false blood alcohol concentration reading.

Keep in mind that research has demonstrated that breath alcohol test results with a breathalyzer can vary at least 15% from actual blood alcohol concentration levels measured with a blood test. It is also important to point out that an estimated 23% of individuals tested with breathalyzers will have a blood alcohol content reading higher than their actual blood alcohol concentration level.

While not as accurate or as reliable as an alcohol blood test or a blood alcohol test, the breath alcohol test is the most convenient and the most economical alcohol testing method currently used by the police and is also the least painful, embarrassing, and the least invasive method for the person receiving the alcohol test.

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