🌿 1,4-Dioxane in workplace air — adsorption on activated carbon, desorption with a solution of propan-2-ol in carbon disulphide, gas chromatography; lowest determinable concentration according to the standard 5 mg/m³; MAC (NDS) 7.3 mg/m³ (2 ppm) and STEL (NDSCh) 22 mg/m³ after two years from the entry into force of the regulation, until then NDS 50 mg/m³; "skin" notation; PN-Z-04431:2011

Environment PN-Z-04431

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card, in full: "A method is given consisting in the adsorption of 1,4-dioxane on activated carbon, desorption of the compound with a solution of propan-2-ol in carbon disulphide and analysis of the obtained solution by gas chromatography. The lowest concentration of 1,4-dioxane that can be determined by this method is 5 mg/m3" (our translation; on the card without a space after "stężenie" and 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 "Dioksan – nr 1(59) 2009"; we did not read the article and give nothing from it.

NDS VALUES (regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, published on 1 April 2026, entering into force on the day after publication). Annex, item 195: "1,4-Dioxane [123-91-1]" — NDS 7.3 mg/m³ (2 ppm), NDSCh 22 mg/m³ (6 ppm), "skin" notation. According to § 2(4)(2), "within two years from the date of entry into force of this regulation" the NDS for 1,4-dioxane is 50 mg/m³, and according to § 2(5)(1) the "NDS or NDSCh values, respectively" from the annex — for 1,4-dioxane 7.3 and 22 mg/m³ — apply after two years from the entry into force of the regulation; the act gives no NDSCh for the transitional period. The regulation enters into force on the day following its publication (§ 3). The lowest determinable concentration according to the card, 5 mg/m³, is 10 % of the transitional value and about 68 % of the NDS in the annex.

STATUS (card as of 05.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04431:2011 (Polish version) has neither the heading "Withdrawn" nor a "Withdrawal date" line: published 09-09-2011, 7 pages, price group D, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the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-04431" (05.10.2026) returns only this standard.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data load up to 17.09.2026, read on 05.10.2026). The number 04431 appears in 2 records at 2 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues of 27.10.2025 and 11.06.2026) — in 2 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. The form "PN-Z-04431:2011" — AB 663 alone, AB 1207 next to procedure PB-06L edition 4 of 5.01.2026. The "Laboratories" tab (search term "PN-Z-04431") shows both laboratories — checked with a tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 05.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). AB 663 — working environment, air: concentration of 1,4-dioxane 2.5–125 mg/m³, gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID). AB 1207 — concentration and content of 1,4-dioxane 0.5–210 mg/m³ (0.005–2 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 sorbent tubes — activated carbon), general environment (ambient air samples) and indoor rooms.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — reference value: in the transitional period the NDS is 50 mg/m³ and the act gives no NDSCh, later NDS 7.3 mg/m³ and NDSCh 22 mg/m³ — the same result may meet the first and exceed the second; the report should state which value the result was compared with. Second — limit of quantification: according to the card 5 mg/m³, i.e. about 68 % of the NDS in the annex; AB 663 gives a bottom limit of 2.5 mg/m³, AB 1207 0.5 mg/m³, which requires conditions different from those in the standard. Third — detector: the card does not give it; AB 663 uses GC-FID, AB 1207 GC-MS. Fourth — object: 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. Fifth — skin: the NDS has the "skin" notation, and a measurement in air does not cover absorption through the skin.

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 composition or volume of the desorption solution, the column, the detector required by the standard, the chromatograph conditions or calculations; we do not know the content of the 2009 CIOP article.

Method principle

1,4-Dioxane from workplace air is adsorbed on activated carbon, desorbed with a solution of propan-2-ol in carbon disulphide and the solution is analysed by gas chromatography (PKN card). The result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS — 50 mg/m³ in the transitional period (no NDSCh), then NDS 7.3 mg/m³ and NDSCh 22 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Lowest determinable concentration according to the card — 5 mg/m³. WE DO NOT GIVE details — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Workplace air — 1,4-dioxane — in the current scopes of 2 laboratories
• Assessment of occupational exposure, "skin" notation (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 195 of the list): for two years from the entry into force of the regulation NDS 50 mg/m³, without NDSCh (§ 2(4)(2)), then NDS 7.3 mg/m³ and NDSCh 22 mg/m³ (§ 2(5)(1))

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04431:2011

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Oznaczanie 1,4-dioksanu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Determination of 1,4-dioxane at workplaces by gas chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Sampling

   Adsorption of 1,4-dioxane from air on activated carbon (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the volume.

2. Desorption

   With a solution of propan-2-ol in 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 values in force on the day of measurement — in the transitional period NDS 50 mg/m³ (no NDSCh), then NDS 7.3 mg/m³ and NDSCh 22 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447); "skin" notation — a measurement in air does not cover the dermal route.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• 1,4-Dioxane — "skin" notation in the NDS list; propan-2-ol and carbon disulphide — chemical laboratory safety rules
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the list values (NDS 7.3, NDSCh 22 mg/m³) apply after the transitional period; until then NDS 50 mg/m³ without NDSCh — the report should state the reference value; AB 1207 uses GC-MS

Frequently asked questions