Defense for Driving
 While Intoxicated

FORENSIC ASSOCIATES
Roy U. Schenk, Ph.D.
Chemist  Expert Witness  Consultant

Breath Alcohol Testers

Excerpts from:  Schenk, R.U., The Effects of Organic Solvents on Evidential Breath Testers, DWI Journal 1(4) 58-76, 1986.

The Intoxilyzer 5000 (also the Intoximeter 3000, Breathalyzer 2000 and BAC Verifier) measure alcohol in the breath through infrared absorption . . .Several thousand (compounds) are volatile enough to produce significant readings.

One mg. of isooctane per liter of simulator solution could produce a reading as high as 0.169% BAC.  Over 2000 times as much alcohol in water would be required to attain the same percent BAC.

Evidential breath testers which employ infrared analysis are susceptible to extreme variations in test results based on interferants from common organic solvents.

Evidence suggests that the Intoximeter EC/IR may be susceptible to hydrogen gas interference.

All blood and breath alcohol testing is flawed by the time between the incident and the test.