Citation

Wittig H, Schmidt U, Jachau K, Romhild W, Krause D. Blutalkohol 2000; 37(1): 30-38.

Affiliation

Institut fur Rechtsmedizin, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, International Committee on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety and Bund gegen Alkohol und Drogen im Straßenverkehr, Publisher Steintor Verlag)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Simultaneous measurements of blood alcohol and breath alcohol concentrations employing the 'totally reliable' Alcotest 7110 Evidential MK III breathalyser revealed variations of the blood alcohol to breath alcohol ratio from 0.74 to 3.29, with a mean value of 2.26 and a median value of 2.27. The blood alcohol to breath alcohol ratios are significantly lower during the invasion phase and significantly higher during the elimination phase at ambient temperatures of 16 to 18 (degrees)C compared to 25 to 29 (degrees)C. In the light of the current knowledge it cannot be sufficiently proven whether this dependence of the ratio on temperature is mainly attributable to the total error in measuring breath alcohol concentrations and determining blood alcohol concentrations. Once again these experimental results show that, in forensics, breath alcohol concentrations should not be converted into blood alcohol concentrations. Therefore a calculation of the time of offence using the transformed blood alcohol concentration or the consideration of a possible after drink are not possible.

DWI