BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BAC), DATA ANALYSIS AND BEHAVIORIAL STUDIES.

BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BAC), DATA ANALYSIS AND BEHAVIORIAL STUDIES.  

Arun G. Bhoi

Arun’s Institute of  Forensic Sciences, Research and Education, Pune  – 411028, State of Maharashtra, (India).

Email : arun.bhoi@gmail.com

(e-J. Foren. Crime Inv. 2011, 3, 1. Art. 1, 19^th Sept.. 2011)

ABSTRACT

In the State of Maharashtra, India, the cases of alcohol / illicit liquor consumption, its preparation, possession, storage  and transportation are  controlled and governed by Bombay Prohibition Act – 1949. The review of 382 cases registered under Bombay Prohibition Act – 1949 has been taken for the presence of ethyl alcohol. These cases were analysed for blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in an academic year. The BAC was estimated using  Modified Diffusion Oxidation Method, routinely used in  Forensic Laboratories. Further, BAC has been correlated with the Medical Officer’s observations like, smelling of alcohol, impairment of speech and walking as also, the position of pupils.

KEY WORDS

Blood alcohol, ethyl alcohol, BAC, Bombay Prohibition Act, Motor Vehicle Act, Modified Diffusion Oxidation Method.

INTRODUCTION

There is a big rise in the cases of driving vehicles in drunken condition. To prohibit this tendency Government is taking very harsh steps. Mobile units are set up by Traffic Police to check up, whether the person driving the vehicle has consumed the alcohol or not?  The Breath Analyser is used for this purpose. It measures the percentage of the ethyl alcohol present in the breath of the person in question. Thus trying to maintain the road safety and to avoid the uncalled accidents.  Some people also, consume alcohol at public places and create nuisance. The consumed and the absorbed alcohol shows its presence in body fluids such as blood, urine, synovial fluids, likewise breath. In India the alcohol consumption cases are  controlled  by Motor Vehicle Act – 1988, National Highways Act – 1956, National Highways Traffic Safety Act, Rules of the Road Regulations 1989, Delhi Traffic Rules, Indian Penal Code – 1980. Maharashtra Police Department, also, registers such cases under Bombay Prohibition Act – 1949, Amendment dated  31-12-2007 and Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Rules – 1989.

To register the alcohol consumption cases in the Court of Law, blood samples of the person in question are to be  got examined from Forensic Laboratories. Jain and Carvey have taken review of chemical and IR methods (1), gas chromatography (2) for the analysis of alcohol. Yamamoto and Veda (3) have studied breath alcohol analysis for the estimation of blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Meson and  Dubowski (4) have elaborated uses and methods of breath alcohol analysis.

EXPERIMENTAL

Equipments

Vacuum pump, round bottom titration flasks, three way glass tube valve, carbonate bulbs, micro titration unit.

Reagents

1. Potassium dichromate solution N/20 (i.e. 0.05N)
2. Sodium thiosulphate solution N/20 (i.e. 0.05N)
3. Conc. Sulphuric acid
4. Granular Sodium carbonate.
5. Starch
6. Morpholline solution
7. Nitroprusside solution

All chemicals used were of Analytical Reagent Grade. Double glass distilled water was used as and when required.

Procedure

             Blood (5 ml) samples of the people suspected to be under influence of alcohol were collected and preserved in glass phials by Medical Officer as and when they were produced before him for examination. The preservative used was 5 mg of sodium fluoride with 15 mg of potassium oxalate as an anti-coagulant (5) for every 5 ml of venous blood. The cases were referred for the detection and determination ethyl alcohol (BAC) over a span of a year. The micro-chemical test, nitroprusside – morpholine reagent test was carried on the blood samples to judge the presence of ethyl alcohol, therein. The ethyl alcohol vapours produce blue colour with this reagent. Then the ethyl alcohol in blood was quantitatively determined using modified diffusion oxidation method (6, 7) which is routinely used for the determination of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in forensic laboratories.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

            In a year 382 cases were analysed for the presence of ethyl alcohol. The modified diffusion oxidation method was used for this analysis. Of the  382 cases analysed 307 cases found positive for blood alcohol concentration of which 285 cases contained BAC more than 50 mg per 100 ml.  From 285 cases, 22 cases showed BAC below 50mg/100ml of which only one case contained BAC in the range of 30 to 50mg%.  From the received cases 74 cases did not show presence of ethyl alcohol in the blood. One case was found unfit for analysis as the blood was got coagulated. The  analysed 382 cases are distributed over the range of  BAC starting from ‘00’ mg% to 300 mg%  as in TABLE -1. It is graphically represented in Figure -1.

TABLE – 1 : BAC mg% and corresponding number of cases examined.

BAC mg%	No. of Cases	BAC mg%	No. of Cases	BAC mg%	No. of Cases
00	74	110	26	210	8
20	1	120	24	220	4
30	15	130	9	230	7
40	6	140	23	240	4
50	0	150	19	250	4
60	37	160	15	260	3
70	34	170	2	270	2
80	16	180	13	280	2
90	17	190	4	290	0
100	17	200	7	300	0

Figure – 1: Graph Showing Number of Cases Examined Vs Corresponding BAC% (Estimated). (Data utilized from Table – 1.)

From 285 BAC positive cases only 122 cases were accompanied with the duly filled in M. O.s observation Form-A and Form-B. As per M. O.s observations these 122 cases are tabulated below as in TABLE – 2. Groups I, II, III and IV are categorized for the effects smelling of alcohol, smell with slurred speech, staggered walk and blurred – dilated pupils, respectively.

TABLE-2: Groupwise distribution of 122 cases observed and opined by M. O. for after consumption effect.

BAC Range mg/100ml	Smelling Alcohol Group – I	Smell with Slurred Speech Group – II	Walking  Staggered Group – III	Pupils Blurred Dilated Group – IV
50 – 60	7	4	0	0
61-70	5	7	1	1
71-80	4	6	0	0
81-90	4	0	0	2
91-100	3	3	0	1
101-110	2	6	0	3
111-120	1	6	0	1
121-130	1	2	2	1
131-140	1	1	1	8
141-150	1	1	2	1
151-160	1	4	0	5
161-170	0	0	0	0
171-180	0	3	0	3
181-190	1	0	1	0
191-200	1	0	0	2
201-210	1	0	1	2
211-220	0	0	0	1
221-230	0	0	0	1
231-240	0	0	1	0
241-250	0	1	0	0
251-260	0	0	0	3
261-270	0	0	0	0
271-280	0	0	0	1

It is considered that if BAC is above 50 mg% w/v then the person under observation always smells of alcohol and he is under influence of alcohol. For our studies (Table-2, Group-I) it applies nicely. The person having BAC level below this may or may not smell of the alcohol and may not be under the influence of alcohol. However, the fellow may start smelling for BAC as low as 30mg%, depending on age, sex, addiction, quantity consumed and time lapsed after consumption. The approximate range of BAC, 100mg% to 180 mg/100 ml of blood shows changes in speech, it is slurred and he speaks irrelevantly.  As tabulated above (Group-II) and as per our studies, impairment of speech is observed starting from 60mg% to 180mg%.  BAC in the approx. range 180 to 280 mg% w/v brings the person in confused condition and he finds difficulty in walking. He starts showing signs of impairment. Our study reflects this range as 130 mg% to 240mg% (Table-2, Group-III). Person with BAC above 280 mg% w/v (approx.) has pupils dilated, fails to respond properly and leads to Comma. Our data range (Group – IV) reflects that BAC 90mg% and above starts showing effect on vision. Medical Officer have observed dilated pupils for this range.   With BAC above 350 mg% w/v, the person marches towards death and it is certain.

CONCLUSION

The BAC data obtained reveals that the opinion and observations made by the Medical Officer (M. O.) about the drunkards at the time of collection of blood samples for BAC are deviated by about 25% for Group-I. This group counts for smelling of the alcohol and it relates with the quantity of alcohol consumed and delay of time after consumption. The person may smell of alcohol irrespective the quantity of alcohol got absorbed in the blood. Even if small dose of alcohol is taken and the person is examined immediately, he may smell of alcohol. The observations made by M. O. stand almost correct for Group – II. The number of cases observed for Group – III are less. Some cases from Group – IV should have reflected in this group. However, 75% observations from Group – IV come true for the considerations made above. It means, if higher dose of alcohol is consumed by a person, the BAC will be higher and gets in for Group – IV. It is likely that higher percentage of BAC (Group-IV) shows all the signs of influence of alcohol meant for  lower concentrations.

In many cases police have given the history of consumption of alcohol, however, M. O.s did not mention their observations about consumption after examining the person in question. Our studies also, come across no consumption or no history cases (about 15%) which showed the presence of alcohol distributed on the wide range of BAC i.e. from 60mg% to 250mg%. This is to be understood that no BAC or Breath Analysis is 100% accurate. It is a rough estimation. Furthermore, no demarcation line for BAC will be drawn while relating it with the physical activities. Studies explored, herein also, pinpoints that M. O.s should be more careful while examining the persons who are  in drunken condition and recording their physique.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

            Author’s thanks are due to Director, Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratory, State of Maharashtra, India.

REFERENCES

1. Jain N. C. and  Cravey R. H., J. Chromatogr. Sci., May 1972, 10 (5), p- 257-262.
2. Jain N. C. and  Cravey R. H., J. Chromatogr. Sci., May 1972, 10 (5), p- 262-267.
3. Yamamoto K and  Veda A., J. Forensic Sci. July, 1972, 1(2), p- 207-224.
4. Meson M. F. and Dubowski K. M., J. Forensic Sci., Jan. 1976, 21(1), p- 9-41.
5. Maharashtra Civil Medical Code ( Supplement – Chapter-13 ), 1988, p-12.
6. Mahal H. S., Anal. Chem., 1959, 31, p-1908.
7. Modi, A Text Book of Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology, 1977, p-655.