🌿 Varnish naphtha ("benzyna C") in workplace air — activated charcoal and gas chromatography, PN-Z-04134-03

Environment PN-81/Z-04134/03

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. The scope from the PKN catalogue card, quoted in full: "A method is established consisting in adsorption of vapour of varnish naphtha C on activated charcoal, desorption of the absorbed vapour with carbon disulphide and chromatographic analysis of the resulting solution. The method is used for determining the concentrations of varnish naphtha C in the air at workplaces. General guidelines, apparatus and instruments, reagents and solutions, operating conditions of the chromatograph, preparation of the calibration curve are given." The card gives no lowest determinable concentration. The standard speaks of a specific grade — "varnish naphtha C"; the NDS list has a row "varnish naphtha" without the letter.

STATUS (state of the card on 28 September 2026). The card carries the heading "Withdrawn" and the row "Date of withdrawal: 17-10-2011"; there are no "Superseded by" and "Supersedes" fields. Edition: published 22-06-1981, 3 pages, KT 159 (Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment), ICS 13.040.30. Sheet 02 of the same series, PN-Z-04134-02 on extraction naphtha and benzene, was withdrawn on the same day; it has a separate entry in this knowledge base. Whether another, valid document for varnish naphtha stands in the PKN catalogue today — WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED. Two laboratories cite a different standard for varnish naphtha in workplace air: PN-Z-04211-02:1989 "Air purity protection — Testing of the content (in mixtures) of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, Freon 11 and varnish naphtha — Determination of 1,1,1-trichloroethane, Freon 11 and varnish naphtha at workplaces by gas chromatography" (our translation of the title; PKN card: withdrawn on 08-07-2015, limit of determination for varnish naphtha 30 mg/m³) — AB 882 in two items (8.33–4163 mg/m³, GC-FID, with procedure PB-01, and 0.80–1858 mg/m³, GC-MS, with procedure PB-10; scope issue 27 of 23 July 2026) and AB 869 (0.01–15 mg per sample; issue 30 of 16 June 2026). These two laboratories are not among the 15 citing PN-Z-04134-03.

THE LIMIT VALUE. The Polish NDS list as worded by the regulation of 26 March 2026 (Journal of Laws 2026, item 447), item 46 "Benzyna: b) do lakierów" (varnish naphtha) [8052-41-3; 64742-82-1; 64741-92-0; 64742-48-9]: NDS 300 mg/m³, NDSCh 900 mg/m³, no "skin" notation. The footnote on determining benzene in parallel applies in the list only to extraction naphtha, not to this row.

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 04134 with sheet 03: 15 entries at 15 laboratories. Forms: "PN-81/Z-04134/03" — 7 laboratories, "PN-81/Z-04134.03" (with a dot) — 5 (AB 481, AB 632, AB 746, AB 875, AB 1226), "PN-Z-04134-03:1981" — 2 (AB 340, AB 719), "PN-81-Z-04134.03" — 1 (AB 1642). The "Laboratories" tab searches for records BEGINNING with "PN-81/Z-04134/03" and will show 7 laboratories; it will not see the other eight. SUSPENSION: in the current PCA scope of AB 1226 (issue 26 of 17 September 2026) the item of this standard is suspended at the laboratory’s request from 10 June 2026 to 7 December 2026 (footnote "*)" at items set in bold italics; read on 29 September 2026). The numbers above include it.

TECHNIQUE AND RANGES IN THE ACCREDITATION SCOPES. All 15 laboratories record gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID). The letter "C" from the title of the standard is repeated by one (AB 1302); AB 418 lists varnish naphtha among "organic compounds". A range in mg/m³ is given by 14 laboratories: lower limits from 1.0 mg/m³ (AB 886) and 2.7 mg/m³ (AB 1144) to 30 mg/m³ (AB 632, AB 875), upper limits from 614.7 mg/m³ (AB 1226 — item suspended until 7 December 2026) to 13 000 mg/m³ (AB 894). Four laboratories cite the standard together with their own procedure or instruction (AB 300, AB 481, AB 719, AB 886), AB 1642 — together with the NIOSH 1550 method (issue 2 of 15 August 1994); AB 481 excludes clauses 5 and 8 of the standard, and AB 719 cites clause 8 alone. What these clauses contain — WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — PKN supplies it for a fee (3 pages). We do not give the composition of naphtha C, the air volume, the amount of activated charcoal, the operating conditions of the chromatograph, the lowest determinable concentration, the formula or the precision.

Method principle

According to the card: vapour of varnish naphtha C from workplace air is adsorbed on activated charcoal, the absorbed vapour is desorbed with carbon disulphide, and the resulting solution is analysed chromatographically with a calibration curve (title: gas chromatography "with sample enrichment"). The result is assessed against the NDS for varnish naphtha of 300 mg/m³ and NDSCh of 900 mg/m³. We DO NOT GIVE the lowest determinable concentration or the conditions — the card does not list them, and we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Measurements of varnish naphtha vapour in workplace air — assessment against NDS 300 mg/m³ and NDSCh 900 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026, item 447, item 46 letter b of the list)
• In accreditation scopes the result as a concentration in mg/m³ (14 laboratories) and as the mass of naphtha in the sample

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04134-03:1981 (wersja polska)

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Badania zawartości ropy naftowej i jej składników — Oznaczanie par benzyny C do lakierów na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej z wzbogacaniem próbki

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Tests for content of crude oil and its components — Determination of varnish naphtha C vapour at workplaces by gas chromatography with sample enrichment

Step-by-step procedure

1. Status of the document

   PKN card: standard withdrawn on 17-10-2011, no "Superseded by" field (state of the card on 28 September 2026). In the report give the full designation with the year: PN-Z-04134-03:1981.

2. Air sampling

   Naphtha vapour is adsorbed on activated charcoal. Volume and flow rate NOT GIVEN.

3. Desorption

   The absorbed vapour is desorbed with carbon disulphide.

4. Chromatographic determination

   The solution is analysed chromatographically, with a calibration curve. Conditions NOT GIVEN.

5. Result and assessment

   The concentration in mg/m³ is compared with NDS 300 mg/m³ and NDSCh 900 mg/m³.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Carbon disulphide and naphtha are extremely flammable — solutions are prepared in a fume cupboard, away from ignition sources; safety data sheets apply
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the card gives no quantification limit — the lower limit of the range has to be taken from the laboratory's validation, not from the standard

Frequently asked questions