🌿 Extraction naphtha and benzene in workplace air — activated charcoal and gas chromatography, PN-Z-04134-02

Environment PN-81/Z-04134/02

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. The scope from the PKN catalogue card, quoted in full: "A method is specified consisting in adsorption of vapour of the compounds determined on activated charcoal, desorption of the vapour with carbon disulphide and chromatographic analysis of the resulting solution. The method is used for determining concentrations of vapour of extraction gasoline benzene in the air at workplaces. General guidelines, apparatus and instruments (fig.), reagents and solutions, preparation of calibration curves are given." The sentence on the subject is garbled on the card ("extraction gasoline benzene"); the title says it clearly: "Determination of vapour of extraction gasoline and benzene". The card gives no lowest determinable concentration.

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 The card carries the heading "Withdrawn" and the row "Date of withdrawal: 17-10-2011"; there are no "Superseded by" and "Supersedes" fields.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, 4 pages, KT 159 (Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment), ICS 13.040.30. Whether another, valid document for extraction naphtha stands in the PKN catalogue today — WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED. The neighbouring sheet of the same series, PN-Z-04134-03 on varnish naphtha, has a separate entry in this knowledge base.

LIMIT VALUES — AND THE FOOTNOTE THAT BINDS BOTH SUBSTANCES. The Polish NDS list as worded by the regulation of 26 March 2026 (Journal of Laws 2026, item 447), item 46 "Benzyna: a) ekstrakcyjna" (extraction naphtha) [8032-32-4; 8006-61-9; 64742-49-0; 93763-33-8; 101316-56-7]: NDS 500 mg/m³, NDSCh 1500 mg/m³. The footnote to this row reads: "The concentration of benzene in the air is determined in parallel." Benzene (item 40) [71-43-2]: NDS 0.66 mg/m³ (0.2 ppm), no NDSCh, "skin" notation. The values differ by more than 750 times — a method that measures naphtha well need not reach the concentrations relevant for benzene.

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 02: 18 entries at 17 laboratories. Forms: "PN-81/Z-04134/02" — 7 laboratories, "PN-Z-04134-02:1981" — 5, "PN-81/Z-04134.02" — 4, single "PN-81/Z 04134/02" (AB 1302) and "PN-81-Z-04134.02" (AB 1642); AB 882 uses the first two. The "Laboratories" tab searches for records BEGINNING with "PN-81/Z-04134/02" and will show 7 laboratories in 7 entries; it will not see the other ten. 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.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES DETERMINE UNDER THIS STANDARD. Sixteen laboratories list extraction naphtha, AB 418 — "organic compounds" with extraction naphtha among the parameters. Benzene is listed by one: AB 940 (extraction naphtha 20–1222 mg/m³ and benzene 0.05–15.0 mg/m³, i.e. 0.015–4.63 ppm, together with its own procedure — according to PCA scope issue 21 of 17 September 2026; our copy still holds issue 20 of 24 July 2025 with a lower limit for benzene of 0.16 mg/m³). The limit of 0.05 mg/m³ is about 7.6 % of the NDS for benzene (0.66 mg/m³). The others cite the standard only for naphtha, although its title also covers benzene and the NDS list requires it to be determined in parallel — whether they determine it by another standard, the scope does not say for this entry. Technique: gas chromatography with a flame ionisation detector (GC-FID) at all 17 laboratories, AB 882 also GC-MS.

RANGES IN THE ACCREDITATION SCOPES. A range in mg/m³ for extraction naphtha is given by 16 laboratories: lower limits from 0.83 mg/m³ (AB 882) and 1.0 mg/m³ (AB 886) to 50 mg/m³ (AB 632), upper limits from 1041.7 mg/m³ (AB 484) to 13 000 mg/m³ (AB 894). Six laboratories cite the standard together with their own procedure or instruction (AB 300, AB 481, AB 719, AB 882, AB 886, AB 940), and AB 1642 together with the NIOSH 1550 method (issue 2 of 15 August 1994; PCA scope issue 23 of 28 July 2026: 24.0–2083 mg/m³); 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 (4 pages). We do not give the air volume, the amount of activated charcoal, the chromatographic conditions, the way benzene is separated from the naphtha, the lowest determinable concentration, the formula or the precision.

Method principle

According to the card: vapour of the compounds determined — extraction naphtha and benzene — is adsorbed on activated charcoal, desorbed with carbon disulphide, and the resulting solution is analysed by gas chromatography (title: "with sample enrichment"); the card mentions calibration curves. The result is assessed against the NDS for extraction naphtha of 500 mg/m³ (NDSCh 1500 mg/m³), and benzene against its NDS of 0.66 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 extraction naphtha vapour in workplace air — assessment against NDS 500 mg/m³ and NDSCh 1500 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026, item 447, item 46 letter a of the list)
• Parallel determination of benzene, required by the footnote of the NDS list — assessment against NDS 0.66 mg/m³ (item 40)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04134-02:1981 (wersja polska)

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Badania zawartości ropy naftowej i jej składników — Oznaczanie par benzyny do ekstrakcji i benzenu 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 extraction naphtha and benzene 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-04134-02:1981.

2. Air sampling

   Vapour of extraction naphtha and benzene is adsorbed on activated charcoal. Volume and flow rate NOT GIVEN.

3. Desorption

   The compounds are desorbed from the activated charcoal with carbon disulphide.

4. Chromatographic determination

   The solution is analysed by gas chromatography, with calibration curves. Conditions NOT GIVEN.

5. Result and assessment

   Extraction naphtha is compared with NDS 500 mg/m³ and NDSCh 1500 mg/m³; in parallel benzene is assessed against NDS 0.66 mg/m³, as the footnote of the NDS list requires.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Carbon disulphide, naphtha and benzene are extremely flammable; benzene is a carcinogen — standard solutions are prepared in a fume cupboard; safety data sheets apply
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the result for extraction naphtha alone does not close the assessment — the NDS list requires benzene, whose limit value is more than 750 times lower, to be determined in parallel

Frequently asked questions