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Exhalation profile and elimination kinetics of mouth alcohol

Grubb, David LU and Lindberg, Lars LU (2011) In Blutalkohol 48(2). p.57-66
Abstract
Mouth alcohol (MA) is a potential source of error in alcohol breath-testing. Although utilized commercially for MA-detection, the exhalation profile of breath samples containing MA has not been systematically studied before.

To characterize the exhalation profile of MA, volumetric expirograms of single-exhalations containing MA were examined. In addition, to explain reports of unusual slow elimination of MA and a suggested influence of

blood alcohol on MA elimination, we tested whether MA is distributed to a second compartment by mathematical modelling.

Eight subjects rinsed their mouths with alcohol without swallowing, before and after alcohol were administered directly into their stomachs. Breath samples were... (More)
Mouth alcohol (MA) is a potential source of error in alcohol breath-testing. Although utilized commercially for MA-detection, the exhalation profile of breath samples containing MA has not been systematically studied before.

To characterize the exhalation profile of MA, volumetric expirograms of single-exhalations containing MA were examined. In addition, to explain reports of unusual slow elimination of MA and a suggested influence of

blood alcohol on MA elimination, we tested whether MA is distributed to a second compartment by mathematical modelling.

Eight subjects rinsed their mouths with alcohol without swallowing, before and after alcohol were administered directly into their stomachs. Breath samples were provided through a low airflow-restricted mouth piece into an analyzer with a sampling frequency of 33 Hz. Mouth alcohol caused an early concentration peak in air from the oral cavity, followed by a continuous contamination of the passing deep lung air which, at the end of the exhalation, exhibited a second, late, concentration peak. In the presence of blood alcohol, however, the distinctive peak features of the profile were absent despite that the breath samples contained MA, making the exhalation profile an unreliable tool for MA detection. Mouth alcohol is probably not distributed to a second compartment to an extent that is of any forensic importance. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
breath alcohol concentration, mouth alcohol, exhalation profile
in
Blutalkohol
volume
48
issue
2
pages
57 - 66
publisher
Steintor-Verlag GmbH
external identifiers
  • scopus:79954507881
ISSN
0006-5250
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
aa586f7e-6d2a-4559-9ac6-be2b165ab055 (old id 3513148)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 13:19:01
date last changed
2022-01-30 00:02:51
@article{aa586f7e-6d2a-4559-9ac6-be2b165ab055,
  abstract     = {{Mouth alcohol (MA) is a potential source of error in alcohol breath-testing. Although utilized commercially for MA-detection, the exhalation profile of breath samples containing MA has not been systematically studied before.<br/><br>
To characterize the exhalation profile of MA, volumetric expirograms of single-exhalations containing MA were examined. In addition, to explain reports of unusual slow elimination of MA and a suggested influence of<br/><br>
blood alcohol on MA elimination, we tested whether MA is distributed to a second compartment by mathematical modelling. <br/><br>
Eight subjects rinsed their mouths with alcohol without swallowing, before and after alcohol were administered directly into their stomachs. Breath samples were provided through a low airflow-restricted mouth piece into an analyzer with a sampling frequency of 33 Hz. Mouth alcohol caused an early concentration peak in air from the oral cavity, followed by a continuous contamination of the passing deep lung air which, at the end of the exhalation, exhibited a second, late, concentration peak. In the presence of blood alcohol, however, the distinctive peak features of the profile were absent despite that the breath samples contained MA, making the exhalation profile an unreliable tool for MA detection. Mouth alcohol is probably not distributed to a second compartment to an extent that is of any forensic importance.}},
  author       = {{Grubb, David and Lindberg, Lars}},
  issn         = {{0006-5250}},
  keywords     = {{breath alcohol concentration; mouth alcohol; exhalation profile}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{57--66}},
  publisher    = {{Steintor-Verlag GmbH}},
  series       = {{Blutalkohol}},
  title        = {{Exhalation profile and elimination kinetics of mouth alcohol}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}