Choosing a breathalyzer: what parameters are worth paying attention to

Nowadays, technologies in the field of applied physics and the chemical industry make it possible to create relatively inexpensive portable analyzers, all kinds of test strips, indicators and pocket laboratories. The main purpose - "on the spot" to conduct a study of various tissues and products for the presence of certain substances. One of the common types of such analyzers is a breathalyzer - a device for determining blood alcohol. Interestingly, earlier it was possible to find out only the qualitative composition of the biological fluid (that is, to determine the fact of the presence of ethanol). And only in the 50s there were models of professional and personal breathalyzers with the function of quantifying the level of alcohol. Since then, this indicator has been expressed in ppm (one tenth of a percent).

And if you think that this type of equipment is used only by law enforcement officials, you are seriously mistaken. Here is just an incomplete list of areas of human activity in which universal "draggers" are used:

Medical field. In the event that an offender (not only a driver) is examined at a medical facility, the conclusion of a narcologist is indispensable;
Household sphere. Many parents prefer to control their children, and spouses - their second half. Whether it is right or wrong is a moot point. But there is definitely practice;
Work area. In many industries, in offices, in construction, mining and agricultural facilities, you can see professional equipment at the entrance, as an element of employee control;
Road sphere. Not only do many conscious drivers independently check themselves for blood alcohol levels before driving, but in many countries the law also obliges convicted drivers to install a breathalyzer in the starter system.

As you can see, the reasons to order a personal or certified breathalyzer.

What to look for when choosing a breathalyzer

The classification of breathalyzers takes into account a huge number of parameters. Among them are both necessary for the layman, and completely useless. For example, when choosing a suitable “home” breathalyzer, you should not worry about its principle of operation. Yes, according to the type of sensor, all devices are divided into electrochemical (a chemical substance reacts with alcohol in the sample), photometric (the sample is "illuminated" by infrared radiation), semiconductor (the alcohol vapor burns out and the released energy is determined). But all three types of sensors show brilliant results. This information is only for reference, and when choosing you should be interested in other characteristics:

Accuracy. This indicator directly affects the quality of the result, because high-precision breathalyzers are mistaken by 0.1%, while the basic ones can give an inaccuracy of the result of 10-20%;
Range of action. No less important characteristic. Means what minimum and maximum value the device can show. The dividing power of the setup is also important - that is, what is the gap between the two values of the system;

Sampling scheme. A high-quality device captures the sample only when the button is pressed (the pump starts and the inlet valve opens). This prevents blurring of the result;
The maximum number of accurate measurements per unit of time. If you choose a home breathalyzer, take a simple option that can be used up to 10-20 times a week.At the enterprises and in medical institutions it is necessary to use expensive professional testers, which can produce several hundred accurate results per day.