What is a common limitation of breath alcohol testing devices like the Intoxilyzer 9000?

Breath alcohol testing devices like the Intoxilyzer 9000 have a common limitation in that they cannot account for mouth alcohol. This refers to the presence of residual alcohol that may remain in the mouth following consumption, which can lead to inaccurate readings. If a person has recently consumed alcoholic beverages, traces of alcohol in their mouth can be measured by the device, potentially producing a higher breath alcohol concentration than what is present in the bloodstream.

This limitation underscores the importance of proper testing protocols, such as ensuring that sufficient time has passed since the last drink and that the subject does not have any oral substances that could impact the accuracy of the reading. Factors like these highlight a significant concern in the reliability of breath testing equipment, as they can yield misleading results if not properly accounted for.

The other options relate to attributes of the device that may not be as critical when evaluating the accuracy of breath alcohol content readings. For instance, while time to produce results and portability can be relevant considerations, they do not directly impact the fundamental accuracy of the alcohol level measured, unlike the issue of residual mouth alcohol. Similarly, the requirement for finger prick blood samples is not applicable to breath testing devices like the Intoxilyzer 9000, which operates solely based