🌿 1,2-Epoxypropane (propylene oxide) in workplace air — adsorption of vapours on activated carbon, desorption with carbon disulphide, gas chromatography; lowest determinable concentration according to the standard 0.1 mg/m³, MAC (NDS) 2.4 mg/m³ (1 ppm); PN-Z-04286:2003

Environment PN-Z-04286

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card, in full: "A method is given consisting in the adsorption of 1,2-epoxypropane vapours on activated carbon, desorption of the compound with carbon disulphide and analysis of the obtained solution by gas chromatography. The lowest concentration of 1,2-epoxypropane that can be determined by this method is 0.1 mg/m3" (our translation; on the card without a full stop at the end). The card gives neither the detector nor the air volume. We did not have the text of the standard (7 pages); the CIOP index of methods from 2000–2017 lists no article on 1,2-epoxypropane or propylene oxide (searched on 04.10.2026).

NDS VALUES (list in the annex to the regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Item 215: "1,2-Epoxypropane [75-56-9]" — NDS 2.4 mg/m³ (1 ppm), no NDSCh and no "skin" notation. The lowest determinable concentration according to the card, 0.1 mg/m³, is about 4 % of the NDS.

STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04286:2003 (Polish version) has neither the heading "Withdrawn" nor a "Withdrawal date" line: published 29-08-2003, 7 pages, price group D, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30; the card has no "Replaces" field. The PKN search for "PN-Z-04286" (04.10.2026) returns only this standard — there is no edition with the year 2002 in the catalogue; the term "epoksypropanu" returns three standards on different compounds: this one, PN-Z-04540:2022-08 (1-chloro-2,3-epoxypropane) and PN-Z-04324:2004 (1-butoxy-2,3-epoxypropane).

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data load up to 17.09.2026, read on 04.10.2026). The number 04286 appears in 3 records at 2 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues of 04.09.2025 and 11.06.2026) — in 3 rows at the same laboratories; a search of all PCA documents downloaded from the BIP found no laboratories outside the database copy; no item is suspended, and no document repeats pages. Forms: "PN-Z-04286:2003" — AB 935 (working environment) and AB 1207 (next to procedure PB-06K edition 3 of 20.01.2025); "PN-Z-04286:2002 z wyłączeniem punktu 8" (excluding point 8) — AB 935 (waste gases). The "Laboratories" tab (search term "PN-Z-04286") shows both laboratories — checked with a tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 04.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). AB 935 — working environment, air samples: 0.1–100 mg/m³ (0.001–1.0 mg per sample; 0.04–41.5 ppm); waste gases: 0.10–100 mg/m³ (1.0–1000 µg per sample); in both items gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID). AB 1207 — "1,2-epoxypropane (propylene oxide)", 0.10–100 mg/m³ (0.041–41.39 ppm; 0.001–1.00 mg per sample), gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS); the item stands in a group with three test objects: working environment (air samples collected on activated carbon tubes), general environment (ambient air samples) and indoor rooms (air samples collected on activated carbon tubes).

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — object: the title and the card speak of workplaces; AB 935 also applies the standard to waste gases, and at AB 1207 the item stands in a group that also covers ambient air and indoor rooms — for these objects the NDS is not a reference value. Second — edition: AB 935 writes "PN-Z-04286:2002" in the waste gas item, while the PKN catalogue knows only the 2003 edition; the same item excludes point 8 of the standard, whose content we do not know. Third — detector: AB 935 uses GC-FID, AB 1207 GC-MS; the card does not give the detector.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — we do not give the mass of activated carbon, the volume or flow rate of air sampling, the volume of carbon disulphide, the column, the detector required by the standard, the chromatograph conditions or calculations.

Method principle

1,2-Epoxypropane vapours from workplace air are adsorbed on activated carbon, desorbed with carbon disulphide and the solution is analysed by gas chromatography (PKN card); the result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 2.4 mg/m³ (1 ppm). Lowest determinable concentration according to the card — 0.1 mg/m³. WE DO NOT GIVE details — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Workplace air — 1,2-epoxypropane (propylene oxide) — in the current scopes of 2 laboratories; at AB 935 also waste gases
• Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 2.4 mg/m³ (1 ppm) (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 215 of the list)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04286:2003

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Oznaczanie 1,2-epoksypropanu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Determination of 1,2-epoxypropane at workplaces by gas chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Sampling

   Adsorption of vapours on activated carbon (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the volume.

2. Desorption

   Desorption with carbon disulphide (PKN card).

3. Analysis

   Gas chromatography of the solution (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the conditions.

4. Result and assessment

   Concentration in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 2.4 mg/m³ (1 ppm) (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447); lowest determinable concentration 0.1 mg/m³.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• 1,2-Epoxypropane and carbon disulphide — chemical laboratory safety rules
• TECHNICAL NOTE: AB 935 also applies the standard to waste gases (with the year 2002 and without point 8), AB 1207 in a group with ambient air and indoor rooms — the NDS concerns workplaces only

Frequently asked questions