Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Measurement
1. Absorption of Alcohol: A breathalyzer test calculates a person’s blood alcohol content (BAC), or the amount of alcohol in their blood. BAC values can be used by authorities to determine an individual’s degree of drunkenness. After drinking alcohol, this substance is absorbed by the body and enters the bloodstream through the stomach lining. A certain amount of alcohol evaporates and enters the lungs with the blood.
2. Correlation between Blood and Lung Concentrations: There is a correlation between the blood and lung concentrations of alcohol. Instead of needing a blood sample, the BAC may be nearly immediately ascertained from the air that a person exhales by utilizing a partition ratio. Breath alcohol to blood alcohol content is approximately 2,100:1. Accordingly, the equivalent quantity of alcohol in 2,100 milliliters (ml) of breath will be 1 ml of blood.
3. Breathalyzer Process: The BAC may be determined via a breathalyzer using the partition ratio. BAC is often measured using a breathalyzer through a chemical reaction. An orange solution called potassium dichromate interacts with the alcohol vapor in a person’s breath. The solution changes it’s color to green if there is presence of alcohol. An electrical current is produced by this color shift, and the breathalyzer may use this current to calculate the blood alcohol content.
4. Legal BAC Limits: In the United States, the standard BAC limit is 0.08%. In Utah, nevertheless, there is a 0.05% cap. A blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08% for an adult may be associated with four or more drinks in two hours, or five or more for a man. A person’s blood contains 0.08% alcohol if their blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.08. This indicates that there are 0.08 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood.