Faculty Articles
Alcohol Breath Tests: Criterion Times for Avoiding Contamination by “Mouth Alcohol”
ORCID
0000-0001-7705-3993
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Behavior Research Methods and Instrumentation
ISSN
1554-3528
Publication Date
11-1978
Abstract
Using either a gas chromatography or an infrared absorption technique, series of blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) determined by breath tests were obtained from human subjects immediately subsequent to their having only oral contact with beverages ranging in ethyl alcohol concentration from 4% to 95% +. Times for total dissipation of mouth alcohol residuals to a level of practical nonsignificance ranged from 10 to 19 min. Dissipation rates were an inverse and approximately exponential function of the ethyl alcohol concentration of the beverage and were greatly shortened by rinsing the mouth with warm (34°C) water prior to testing. The results are discussed in terms of their relevance to the methodology of a number of research studies employing BAC breath-testing equipment.
DOI
10.3758/BF03205406
Volume
10
Issue
6
First Page
814
Last Page
818
NSUWorks Citation
Caddy, G. R.,
Sobell, M. B.,
Sobell, L. C.
(1978). Alcohol Breath Tests: Criterion Times for Avoiding Contamination by “Mouth Alcohol”. Behavior Research Methods and Instrumentation, 10(6), 814-818.
Available at: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facarticles/37
