title: Breath alcohol elimination rate as a function of age, gender, and drinking practice.
abstract: The objective of this study was to determine whether breath alcohol elimination rate varies as a function of age, gender, and drinking practice, factorially combined. Eighty-four men and 84 women drank enough alcohol to produce peak BrACs of .110 g/210 L for heavy and moderate drinkers and BrACs of .090 g/210 L for light drinkers. An Intoxilyzer 5000 was used to generate the concentration-time profiles. Mean (M) elimination rates (g/210 L/h) were found to be higher for women (N=84, M=.0182, SD=.0033) than for men (N=84, M=.0149, SD=.0029), F(1, 144)=57.292, p<.001; higher for heavy drinkers (N=56, M=.0176, SD=.0038) than for light and moderate drinkers combined (N=112, M=.0160, SD=.0032), F(1, 144)=12.434, p<.01; and higher for older subjects (51-69 years, N=42, M=.0180, SD=.0038) than younger subjects (19-50 years, N=126, M=.0161, SD=.0033), F(1, 144)=14.324, p<.001. None of the two-way interactions (age × gender, age × drinking practice, gender × drinking practice) or the three-way interaction (age × gender × drinking practice) was statistically significant. Limitations of the current study and suggestions for further research are discussed.
authors: Southern California Research Institute, 11914 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90066, USA. Electronic address: dary.fiorentino@dfconsulting.info.
authors: Dary D
authors: DD
authors: Fiorentino
authors: Herbert
authors: H
authors: Moskowitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001944:Breath Tests; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Alcohol; Drunk driving; Elimination rate; Forensic science; Pharmacokinetics; Retrograde extrapolation