🌿 3-Methylbutan-1-ol (isoamyl alcohol) in workplace air — adsorption of vapours on activated carbon, desorption with a solution of methanol in carbon disulphide, gas chromatography; lowest determinable concentration according to the standard 50 mg/m³, MAC (NDS) 18 mg/m³, STEL (NDSCh) 37 mg/m³; PN-Z-04355:2005 (withdrawn 22-10-2021)

Environment PN-Z-04355

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card, in full: "A method is given consisting in the adsorption of 3-methylbutan-1-ol vapours on activated carbon, desorption of the compound with a solution of methanol in carbon disulphide and analysis of the obtained solution by gas chromatography. The lowest concentration of 3-methylbutan-1-ol that can be determined by this method is 50 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 "3-Metylobutan-1-ol − nr 4(30) 2001"; we did not read the article and give nothing from it.

NDS VALUES (list in the annex to the regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Item 375: "3-Methylbutan-1-ol – isoamyl alcohol [123-51-3]" — NDS 18 mg/m³, NDSCh 37 mg/m³, no "skin" notation. The lowest determinable concentration according to the card of the 2005 standard, 50 mg/m³, is higher than both these values.

STATUS (cards as of 04.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04355:2005 (Polish version) carries the heading "Withdrawn": published 22-12-2005, withdrawal date 22-10-2021, 7 pages, price group D, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the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 names no replacing standard. The PKN search for "PN-Z-04355" (04.10.2026) returns only this standard. The term "metylobutan-1-olu" returns it and the current PN-Z-04526:2020-12 "Air purity protection — Determination of pentan-1-ol, 3-methylbutan-1-ol and the other pentanol isomers at workplaces by gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection" (our translation); its card has no heading "Withdrawn": published 01-12-2020, 10 pages, price group E, KT 159, ICS 13.040.30; its scope covers pentan-1-ol (CAS no. 71-41-0), 3-methylbutan-1-ol (CAS no. 123-51-3) and six other pentanol isomers, lowest determinable concentration of pentan-1-ol, 3-methylbutan-1-ol and the other isomers — 1 mg/m³; the card has no "Replaces" field, so it does not link it to the 2005 standard.

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 04355 appears in 3 records at 2 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues of 26.01.2026 and 18.08.2026 — both issued after the withdrawal of the standard) — 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 document repeats pages. Both items at AB 522 (issue no. 26 of 18.08.2026) are printed in bold italics — accreditation suspended at the request of the body from 18.08.2026 to 14.02.2027; in the database copy the documents carry an asterisk. The form "PN-Z-04355:2005" — AB 849 alone, AB 522 next to procedure PB-17-27 edition 7 of 20.06.2022 (in the item on mass per sample "excluding point 5.4"). The "Laboratories" tab (search term "PN-Z-04355") shows both laboratories — checked with a tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 04.10.2026. The current PN-Z-04526:2020-12 is cited by none of the current PCA documents downloaded from the BIP (searched on 04.10.2026).

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). Object: working environment — air; AB 849 — samples collected on tubes, AB 522 — in the item on mass per sample on sorbent tubes. Quantity: concentration (content) of 3-methylbutan-1-ol, at AB 849 with the addition "(isoamyl alcohol)". Ranges: AB 849 — 5.0–1004 mg/m³ (0.10–10.0 mg per sample); AB 522 (suspended) — concentration 0.50–997.56 mg/m³ and content 9.0–17 956 µg per sample. Technique: gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) — both laboratories.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — limit of quantification versus NDS: according to the card of the 2005 standard the lowest determinable concentration is 50 mg/m³, while the NDS is 18 mg/m³ and the NDSCh 37 mg/m³ — under the conditions of this standard a result "below the limit of quantification" does not settle whether the NDS is met. Second — the laboratories' bottom limits: AB 849 (5.0) and AB 522 (0.50 mg/m³) give limits far below 50 mg/m³, which requires conditions different from those in the standard — the report should name them. Third — status: the standard has been withdrawn since 22-10-2021, and both laboratories have it in scopes issued in 2026; the current PN-Z-04526:2020-12 covers this substance with a limit of 1 mg/m³. Fourth — suspension: both items at AB 522 suspended until 14.02.2027; AB 522 also excludes point 5.4 of its own procedure PB-17-27 — in PCA the note stands under the procedure, not under the standard.

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 describe the content of PN-Z-04526:2020-12 beyond the "Scope" field of its card; we do not know the content of the 2001 CIOP article.

Method principle

3-Methylbutan-1-ol vapours from workplace air are adsorbed on activated carbon, desorbed with a solution of methanol in carbon disulphide and analysed by gas chromatography (PKN card); the result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 18 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 37 mg/m³. Lowest determinable concentration according to the card — 50 mg/m³. The standard is withdrawn (22-10-2021); WE DO NOT GIVE details — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Workplace air — 3-methylbutan-1-ol (isoamyl alcohol) — in the current scopes of 2 laboratories (one suspended), despite the withdrawal of the standard
• Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 18 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 37 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 375 of the list)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04355:2005

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Oznaczanie 3-metylobutan-1-olu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Determination of 3-methylbutan-1-ol at workplaces by gas chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Status

   PN-Z-04355:2005 withdrawn on 22-10-2021; for this substance PN-Z-04526:2020-12 is current (cards as of 04.10.2026).

2. Sampling

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

3. Desorption and analysis

   Desorption with a solution of methanol in carbon disulphide, gas chromatography (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the conditions.

4. Result and assessment

   Concentration in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 18 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 37 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447); the lowest determinable concentration of the 2005 standard (50 mg/m³) is higher than both values.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• 3-Methylbutan-1-ol, methanol and carbon disulphide — chemical laboratory safety rules
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the limit of the 2005 standard (50 mg/m³) is higher than the NDS and NDSCh; PN-Z-04526:2020-12 is current; both items at AB 522 suspended until 14.02.2027

Frequently asked questions