French government recently introduced new regulations, from July of 2012, all drivers must carry at least two disposable alcohol testers when driving, otherwise the driver will face a fine. One is used for driver himself to check, another is used for police routine inspection. July to November is the grace period. Regulations will be imposed substantially from December. It applies not only to the Frenchman, also applies to foreign visitors traveling by car in France. According to French law, the driver per one hundred milliliters of blood alcohol concentration of 50 mg to 80 mg, will be fined 135 euros ($ 178.6), 6 points deducted. If more than 80 mg will be fined of 4500 euros ($ 5,953), revocated driver's license, sentenced to up to two years in prison.
Determination of blood alcohol concentration from breath
Alcohol tester is generally composed of a mouthpiece, a tube and a gas chamber. User simply have a deep breath from mouth then after ten seconds, it can show the alcohol concentration contained in the blood from the tester. It sounds magic!
Currently alcohol testers used by the police are basically the same principle, the breath alcohol concentration and blood alcohol concentration have a certain proportion relationship. When drinking, the alcohol is absorbed, but it will not be digested, part of the alcohol evaporates out through the alveolar and is eliminated from the body. Determined by the test that the alcohol concentration in exhaled breath and blood alcohol concentration ratio is 2100:1. That is to say per 2100ml exhaled breath contains equal alcohol amount with alcohol amount in 1ml blood. By this ratio, the traffic police by measuring the driver's breath, can soon calculate the alcohol content in the blood. While traditional blood or urine test take 1-2 days to get report. It’s too slow compared with alcohol tester’s efficiency
Three kinds of alcohol tester
There are 3 types to test alcohol content, Breathalyzer, Intoxilyzer andAlcosensor III or IV.
The Breathalyzer is using a chemical reagent to determine the alcohol concentration in exhaled air. In 1954, a police officer in the U.S. state of Indiana, Robert Bekenstein invented the Breathalyzer, this tester has become the world's first alcohol testing tools. Besides general components breathalyzer also comes with two glass bottles containing the chemical mixture. When the breath containing alcohol, the bottle of mixture changes from orange to green. Meanwhile the resistance generated by the chemical reaction will make the pointer to move to certain data to show accurate breath alcohol concentration. Microcomputer converts into a blood alcohol concentration by the data.
Intoxilyzer determines the alcohol content by extent of the infrared absorption by alcohol molecules.
Alcosensor III or IV determines the alcohol content through fuel cells test by positive and negative electrodes. This electrode is made of platinum, when alcohol-containing gas into the fuel cell platinum will react to generate electricity generated readings.
All three kinds of testers are very sensitive.
alcohol tester, good article
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