Among the electronic breathalyzers produced globally, we can determine two main categories:

• Semiconductor
• Electrochemical (Fuel Cell)
• Infrared

Semiconductor breathalyzers

Among the many models of semiconductor breathalyzers available on the market, you will not find any that will provide the accuracy, stability and repeatability of the results for which calibration laboratories or the producer will take full legal responsibility, and under which a person may decide to perform a test drive.

Most people buy these devices and come to the conclusion that things such as peppermint candy can interfere with the readings. This is because semiconductor breathalyzer results are affected by many factors such as the type of food intake, acetone, and many other substances present in the mouth, including peppermint, smoke, tobacco, tea, and coffee, as well as the temperature, humidity, etc. The biggest disadvantage of these devices is that after a few months of use, they may produce measurement errors of several hundred percent! Semiconductor breathalyzers need to be recalibrated much more frequently.

Electrochemical (Fuel Cell) breathalyzers dare often used by the police due to a very small measurement error, which is achieved through a built-in electrochemical sensor. The electrochemical sensor is used for its chemical aspect. The sensor reacts to the alcohol molecules, which are a precisely defined quantity of exhaled air that is sucked by the pump to the sensor in the final stage of blowing. These kind of breathalyzers can be used to test more people at once and do not require frequent recalibration.

Infrared breathalysers are very expensive and usually used in laboratories where very accurate measuring results are needed.