What types of substances can cause false positives on the Intoxilyzer 9000?

The correct answer is based on the understanding that the Intoxilyzer 9000, while primarily designed to detect ethanol in breath samples, can also be influenced by other factors. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, can lead to the presence of acetone in the breath, which may be mistaken for alcohol by the machine, leading to a false positive reading. Additionally, certain substances that can be present in the body, including some medications or solvents, may also interfere with the detection process.

The other choices do not encompass the range of factors that can create false positives. For instance, while common food items can sometimes lead to residual alcohol, they are generally not significant enough to cause a false positive in a controlled testing environment. Environmental pollutants are unlikely to affect the specific readings of the Intoxilyzer in a way that would be mistaken for the presence of alcohol in the breath sample. Therefore, recognizing that medical conditions and specific substances like acetone can cause inaccuracies in the readings is crucial for understanding the limitations of the Intoxilyzer 9000.