🌿 1-Methoxypropan-2-ol in workplace air — adsorption on activated carbon, desorption with methanol in carbon disulphide and gas chromatography, PN-Z-04354

Environment PN-Z-04354

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. The scope from the PKN catalogue card, quoted in full: "A method is given consisting in the adsorption of 1-methoxypropan-2-ol vapour on activated carbon, desorption of the compound with a solution of methanol in carbon disulphide and analysis of the resulting solution by gas chromatography. The lowest concentration of 1-methoxypropan-2-ol that can be determined by this method is 45 mg/m3."

STATUS (state of the card on 29 September 2026). The card carries the heading "Withdrawn" and the row "Date of withdrawal: 03-11-2021". There are no "Superseded by" and "Supersedes" fields. Edition: published 22-12-2005, 7 pages, PKN technical committee KT 159 (Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment), ICS 13.040.30. The PKN search for "PN-Z-04354" (29 September 2026) shows only this standard; a successor WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED.

LIMIT VALUES AND THE REGULATION ON THE METHOD. The NDS list — the annex to the regulation of 12 June 2018 as worded by the regulation of 26 March 2026 (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447), item 369 "1-Methoxypropan-2-ol" [107-98-2]: NDS (8-hour value) 180 mg/m³, NDSCh (short-term value) 360 mg/m³, "skin" notation. According to the explanatory note of the list, the "skin" notation means that "absorption of the substance through the skin may be as significant as exposure by inhalation" (our translation). The lowest concentration determinable according to the card (45 mg/m³) is one quarter of the NDS. The list also has a separate item 368 for the isomer 2-methoxypropan-1-ol (NDS 20 mg/m³, NDSCh 40 mg/m³, "skin") — this standard does not cover it. The method is addressed by § 16 of the Regulation of the Minister of Health on tests and measurements of agents harmful to health in the working environment (consolidated text — Journal of Laws 2025 item 949): "Tests and measurements shall be carried out in accordance with the methods specified in Polish Standards and, where there are no such standards, with methods recommended and validated by the laboratories referred to in § 15(1) and (2)(1)" (our translation). The regulation does not name this standard, and another regulation citing it WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED; whether a standard withdrawn by PKN falls under the words of § 16 "where there are no such standards" — WE DO NOT DECIDE.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17 September 2026, read on 28 September 2026). All records of number 04354: 15 entries at 12 laboratories; the rows of AB 886 and AB 1144 are each split into two entries in the copy, and AB 882 has two entries (GC-FID with procedure PB-01 and GC-MS with PB-10) — there are 13 rows in the scopes. All write "PN-Z-04354:2005"; AB 300 adds instruction IN-59, and AB 1207 — procedure PB-06A. The "Laboratories" tab searches for records BEGINNING with "PN-Z-04354" and shows all 12 laboratories — checked with the tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 29 September 2026: 12. Current scopes on the PCA website (read on 29 September 2026, issues from 26 November 2025 to 8 September 2026): all entries stand in the valid issues, every numerical range from the copy appears in the current document and no entry is suspended; AB 746 has entries suspended at its own request in its scope (issue no. 38 of 22 July 2026), but not this one.

TECHNIQUE AND RANGES. Gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) — 11 laboratories; with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) — AB 1207 and the second entry of AB 882. Lower limits in mg/m³: from 0.050 (AB 1642) and 0.18 (AB 886) through 0.33 (AB 1207), 0.70 (AB 1144), 1.53–2.75 (AB 882, AB 300, AB 581), 4.44 (AB 1302) and 6.2 (AB 746) to 13 (AB 647) and 18 mg/m³ (AB 632) — at all of them not higher than one tenth of the NDS (18 mg/m³) and well below the 45 mg/m³ of the card. Upper: from 569 (AB 1642) to 5166 mg/m³ (AB 882) — at all of them above the NDSCh. AB 719 gives only the mass in the sample (0.0060–15.0 mg).

ALONGSIDE THIS STANDARD. For 1-methoxypropan-2-ol at workplaces the copy has, apart from this standard, only in-house procedures of laboratories (AB 481, AB 583, AB 647, AB 719, AB 802, AB 849, AB 863, AB 869, AB 875, AB 940, AB 1065, AB 1183, AB 1257; AB 583 writes the name with a space: "1-metoksypropan- 2-ol") and the general record "Normy, Procedury badawcze" (standards, test procedures) (AB 934); there is no other standard for this determination.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — PKN sells it (7 pages). We do not give the amount of activated carbon, the air volume and flow, the composition and volume of the desorption solution, the chromatographic conditions, the calibration curve, the formula or the precision.

Method principle

According to the card of the standard, 1-methoxypropan-2-ol vapour from workplace air is adsorbed on activated carbon, desorbed with a solution of methanol in carbon disulphide and the solution is analysed by gas chromatography; the lowest determinable concentration is 45 mg/m³. The result is compared with the NDS of 180 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 360 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 369). We DO NOT GIVE the air volume, the composition of the desorption solution or the chromatographic conditions — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Measurements of 1-methoxypropan-2-ol vapour in workplace air — assessment against the NDS of 180 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 360 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 369)
• In accreditation scopes: 12 laboratories, 11 with GC-FID, AB 1207 and AB 882 also with GC-MS

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04354:2005 (wersja polska)

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Oznaczanie 1-metoksypropan-2-olu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Determination of 1-methoxypropan-2-ol at workplaces by gas chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Status of the document

   PKN card: standard withdrawn on 03-11-2021, no successor indicated (state of the card on 29 September 2026).

2. Sampling

   The vapour is adsorbed on activated carbon (from the card). Air volume and flow NOT GIVEN.

3. Desorption

   With a solution of methanol in carbon disulphide (from the card).

4. Chromatographic analysis

   Gas chromatography; lowest determinable concentration 45 mg/m³ (from the card). Conditions NOT GIVEN.

5. Result and assessment

   The concentration in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 180 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 360 mg/m³. "Skin" notation: a measurement in air does not cover absorption through the skin.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Carbon disulphide and methanol are flammable and toxic — desorption in a fume cupboard, away from ignition sources; the safety data sheets apply
• SUBSTANTIVE NOTE: the NDS list distinguishes the isomers — 1-methoxypropan-2-ol (NDS 180 mg/m³) and 2-methoxypropan-1-ol (NDS 20 mg/m³); this standard covers only the former

Frequently asked questions