ACCURACY OF BLOOD ALCOHOL ANALYSIS BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY

The results of investigations of the accuracy of the current method used for the analysis of alcohol in Transport Act blood specimens in New Zealand are described. The method, using automated headspace gas chromatography with internal standardisation, continues to be the method of choice. The procedure of deducting 6 mg/100 ml from the analyst's mean figure to allow for analytical variation has been shown to be more than adequate for specimens near the legal limit of 80 mg/100 ml. For specimens above 120 mg/100 ml the deduction is still satisfactory, but may not provide the 99.9% confidence level applicable at lower alcohol values.

• Corporate Authors:

  Department of Scientific and Industrial Research

  Science Information Division, P.O. Box 9741
  Wellington,   New Zealand 
• Authors:
  • Stone, H M
  • Norris, R J
  • Muirhead, J M
  • Singers, W A
• Publication Date: 1982

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 23-28
• Serial:
  • DSIR Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 232
  • Publisher: Department of Scientific and Industrial Research

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accuracy; Blood alcohol levels; Blood analysis; Calibration; Chemical analysis; Errors; Gas chromatography; Samples; Statistics; Test procedures; Traffic regulations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Reproducibility; Traffic laws
• Old TRIS Terms: Blood tests
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Law; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00381303
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-035 467
• Files: HSL, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 29 1984 12:00AM