🌿 Butan-2-one (methyl ethyl ketone) in workplace air — gas chromatography with or without sample enrichment; MAC (NDS) 450 mg/m³, STEL (NDSCh) 900 mg/m³, "skin"; PN-Z-04107-02:1979 (withdrawn 04-06-2014, replaced by PN-Z-04449:2014-06)

Environment PN-Z-04107-02

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card, in full: "The subject (of the standard is the determination of methyl ethyl ketone in workplace air by the following methods: a) gas chromatography with sample enrichment, b) gas chromatography without sample enrichment. The methods are used to determine the concentration of methyl ethyl ketone vapour in workplace air when checking sanitary and hygienic conditions. In the presence of substances with the same or a similar retention time as methyl ethyl ketone that mask the peak of the analyte on the chromatogram, a column of different polarity shall be used that separates methyl ethyl ketone from the accompanying substances." (our translation; spelling as on the card). The card does not give the limit of quantification, the sorbent, the detector or the air volume. We did not have the text of the standard (4 pages). The CIOP method index lists the article "Butan-2-on" in the quarterly "Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy" No. 1(71) of 2012 — we have not read it.

NDS VALUES (list in the annex to the regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Item 72: "Butan-2-one [78-93-3]" — NDS 450 mg/m³, NDSCh 900 mg/m³, "skin" notation, no note on the fraction; the substance is not covered by the transitional provisions of § 2. According to its card the replacing standard gives a lowest determinable concentration of 44.5 mg/m³, i.e. about 10 % of the NDS; the card of this standard does not give a limit of quantification.

STATUS (cards as of 05.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04107-02:1979 (Polish version) has the heading "Withdrawn and replaced by PN-Z-04449:2014-06": publication 29-11-1979, withdrawal date 04-06-2014, 4 pages, price group B, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30. The card of PN-Z-04449:2014-06 ("… Determination of butan-2-one at workplaces by gas chromatography") has no heading "Withdrawn": publication 04-06-2014, 8 pages, "Replaces: PN-Z-04107-02:1979"; its scope gives gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and a lowest determinable concentration of 44.5 mg/m³; it is described in a separate entry of this database. PKN search (05.10.2026): under "PN-Z-04107" and "metyloetyloketonu" — 3 parts of the series "Tests for methyl ethyl ketone content": -00:1977 (scope of the standard), -01:1977 (colorimetric method) and -02:1979, all labelled "Withdrawn"; under "butan-2-onu" — only PN-Z-04449:2014-06.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17.09.2026, read on 05.10.2026). Number 04107-02 appears at 5 laboratories — in 7 records of the database copy, because one entry of AB 886 is split into 3 records in the copy; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues from 24.11.2025 to 18.08.2026) — in 5 rows at the same laboratories; a search of all PCA documents downloaded from the BIP found no laboratories outside the database copy; no entry is suspended and no pages are repeated in any document. Notations: "PN-79/Z-04107/02" — AB 647, AB 886 (alongside procedure PB-02 issue No. 12 of 16.10.2023) and AB 1302; "PN-Z-04107-02:1979" — AB 340 and AB 562 (alongside procedure PB_42 edition 5 of 2022-08-16). The "Laboratories" tab searches for records beginning with the term entered: "PN-79/Z-04107/02" shows 3 laboratories, "PN-Z-04107-02" — 2, 5 in total — the same in the copy and on the labcoda.pl production server (tab queries on 05.10.2026). None of these 5 laboratories cites PN-Z-04449:2014-06, which according to the database copy is in the scopes of 12 other laboratories.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). Subject: working environment — air; AB 647 — samples collected on activated carbon tubes, AB 886 — on sorption tubes. Quantity: concentration (content) of butan-2-one; AB 1302 adds "(methyl ethyl ketone)". Ranges: AB 886 — 0.19–3000 mg/m³ (0.0058–30 mg per sample); AB 340 — 0.83–1346 mg/m³; AB 1302 — 1.11–1800 mg/m³ (0.005–19 mg per sample); AB 562 — 5–4000 mg/m³; AB 647 — 44–900 mg/m³ (0.49–9.8 mg per sample). Technique: gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) — all laboratories.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — withdrawn standard: since 04-06-2014 the current standard is PN-Z-04449:2014-06; a report citing PN-Z-04107-02:1979 is based on a withdrawn standard and should state this explicitly. Second — detector: according to its card the replacing standard uses mass spectrometry, while all five laboratories with the old standard use a flame ionisation detector; changing the standard number in the report without changing the method does not give a result according to the new standard. Third — which of the two methods: the standard contains a method with and without sample enrichment, and no laboratory states in its scope which one it uses. Fourth — masking peaks: the card requires a column of different polarity when another substance has the same or a similar retention time; without such a check the peak assigned to methyl ethyl ketone may contain another substance. Fifth — searching: the number appears in two notations and no single search term shows all 5 laboratories.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — we do not give the limit of quantification, the sorbent, the solvent, the volume or flow rate of the air sample, the detector according to the standard, the column, the chromatograph conditions or the calculations. We do not give the content of the CIOP article of 2012 — we have not read it.

Method principle

Methyl ethyl ketone (butan-2-one) vapour in workplace air is determined by gas chromatography — by one of the two methods of the standard: with sample enrichment or without enrichment (PKN card); when another substance masks the peak, a column of different polarity is used. The result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 450 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 900 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). The standard is withdrawn — it was replaced by PN-Z-04449:2014-06.

Applications

• Workplace air — butan-2-one — in the current scopes of 5 laboratories despite the withdrawal of the standard (the replacing PN-Z-04449:2014-06 — at 12 others)
• Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 450 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 900 mg/m³, with the "skin" notation (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 72 of the list)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04107-02:1979

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Badania zawartości metyloetyloketonu — Oznaczanie metyloetyloketonu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Tests for methyl ethyl ketone content — Determination of methyl ethyl ketone at workplaces by gas chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Choice of method

   Method with sample enrichment or without enrichment (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the selection criteria.

2. Sampling

   WE DO NOT GIVE details — the card does not describe them.

3. Analysis

   Gas chromatography; with masking peaks — a column of different polarity (PKN card); in the scopes — GC-FID; WE DO NOT GIVE the conditions.

4. Result and assessment

   Concentration of butan-2-one in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 450 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 900 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447).

Required equipment and apparatus

Health and safety (OHS)

• Butan-2-one — safety rules of the chemical laboratory
• TECHNICAL NOTE: standard withdrawn since 04-06-2014 — according to its card the replacing PN-Z-04449:2014-06 uses mass spectrometry, while the laboratories with the old standard use a flame ionisation detector

Frequently asked questions