What are the standard units for measuring breath alcohol concentration?

The standard units for measuring breath alcohol concentration are expressed as grams of ethanol (ETOH) per 210 milliliters of breath. This measurement is based on the principle of Henry's Law, which relates the concentration of a gas in a liquid phase to its concentration in a vapor phase. In the context of breath alcohol testing, this ratio is significant because it aligns with the physiological relationship between blood alcohol content (BAC) and breath alcohol content (BrAC), providing a reliable estimation of the amount of alcohol in a person's system based on their breath sample.

While other units, such as milligrams of ethanol per 100 milliliters or grams per 100 milliliters, may reflect blood alcohol concentrations or other contexts, they are not used for breath alcohol measurements in the context of the Intoxilyzer 8000. The importance of the 210 mL breath sample directly relates to the legally and scientifically accepted method for determining breath alcohol concentration.