🌿 Phenol in workplace air — determination of phenol vapour content (in accreditation scopes: spectrophotometric method); MAC (NDS) 7.8 mg/m³, STEL (NDSCh) 16 mg/m³, "skin" notation; PN-Z-04044:1970 (withdrawn 10-04-2006)
In short
Two-page Polish standard of 1970 "Determination of phenol vapour content in air" — the PKN card has no "Scope" field, so only the title speaks of the method; laboratories describe it in their scopes as a spectrophotometric method. The test is performed according to PN-Z-04044:1970; Ranges in accreditation scopes: from 0.50 mg/m³ (AB 484) to 40 mg/m³ (AB 964). The procedure comprises 4 steps; it is used for: Workplace air — phenol — in the current scopes of 5 laboratories, despite the withdrawal of the standard, Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 7.8 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 16 mg/m³, "skin" notation (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 245 of the list).
At a glance
- Standard: PN-Z-04044:1970
- Category: Environment
- Procedure steps: 4
- STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026): PN-Z-04044:1970 WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 10-04-2006; the card names no replacing standard; the PN-Z-04159 series on phenol also withdrawn
- Edition (from the PKN card): PN-Z-04044:1970, Polish version; published 18-11-1970, 2 pages, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30; replaced PN-Z-04044:1956; card without a "Scope" field
- Technique (accreditation scopes): spectrophotometric method — all laboratories; the card gives neither the technique nor the limit of quantification
Overview
WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. The PKN card of PN-Z-04044:1970 has no "Scope" field — only the title speaks of the method: "Determination of phenol vapour content in air" (our translation). The title mentions neither workplaces nor the determination technique; the card gives no limit of quantification. We did not have the text of the standard (2 pages); the CIOP index of methods from 2000–2017 lists no article on phenol itself (searched on 04.10.2026 — only phenol derivatives).
NDS VALUES (list in the annex to the regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Item 245: "Phenol [108-95-2]" — NDS 7.8 mg/m³, NDSCh 16 mg/m³, "skin" notation (according to footnote 4 of the list, absorption through the skin "may be as important as in exposure by inhalation").
STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04044:1970 (Polish version) has the heading "Withdrawn": published 18-11-1970, withdrawal date 10-04-2006, 2 pages, price group A, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30, "Replaces PN-Z-04044:1956"; the card does not name a replacing standard. The PKN search for "PN-Z-04044" and "fenolu" (04.10.2026) shows for phenol itself only standards labelled "Withdrawn": PN-Z-04044:1956 ("Rapid method for determining phenol vapour content in air", replaced by the 1970 edition), PN-Z-04044:1970 and the PN-Z-04159 series ("Tests for phenol content") — part 01:1986 (general provisions), 02:1986 (determination of phenol at workplaces by gas chromatography), 05:1993 (ambient air) and 10:1989 (premises intended for permanent human occupancy). Current standards among these results concern other substances (chlorophenols, nitrophenols, methylphenols and others). The withdrawn PN-Z-04159-02:1986 is not cited by any laboratory in the database copy.
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 04044 appears in 6 records at 6 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues from 26.11.2025 to 01.10.2026 — all issued after the withdrawal of the standard) — in 5 rows at 5 of them: AB 438 has the standard in the database copy ("PN-70/Z-04044", 0.75–16 mg/m³), but in the scope issued on 01.10.2026 (issue no. 27) — after the copy's data load date — the number 04044 no longer appears. A search of all PCA documents downloaded from the BIP found no laboratories outside the database copy; no item is suspended and no document repeats pages. Form "PN-70/Z-04044" — AB 409, AB 438, AB 581, AB 591 and AB 964; "PN-Z-04044:1970" — AB 484. "Laboratories" tab: "PN-70/Z-04044" shows 5 laboratories, "PN-Z-04044" — 1, 6 in total (including AB 438), the same in the copy and on the production server labcoda.pl (tab queries of 04.10.2026).
WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy). Object: working environment — air (at AB 409 samples collected into an absorbing solution, with the mark "E" at the object). Quantity: concentration (content) of phenol (at AB 409 "hydroxybenzene, carbolic acid"). Ranges in mg/m³: 0.50–35.00 (AB 484), 0.7–40 (AB 964), 0.75–16 (AB 438), 0.77–30.5 (AB 581), 0.78–16.0 (AB 591); AB 409 — no range in the copy. Technique: spectrophotometric method — all 6 laboratories.
WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — status: the standard has been withdrawn since 10-04-2006, and the PKN search shows no other current standard for phenol at workplaces; 5 laboratories have it in scopes issued from November 2025 — the client should know that the result is produced according to a standard withdrawn from the PKN catalogue. Second — what the standard covers: the title speaks of "air" without mentioning workplaces; whether the standard provides for measurement against the NDS and NDSCh does not follow from the card. Third — limit of quantification: the card does not give it, and the laboratories' bottom limits (0.50–0.78 mg/m³) are 6–10 % of the NDS; they cannot be compared with the standard. Fourth — skin: the NDS has a "skin" notation, and a measurement in air does not cover absorption through the skin. Fifth — searching: the entry "PN-70/Z-04044" is not found under the query "PN-Z-04044".
WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard, and the card has no "Scope" field — we do not give the sampling method, the absorbing solution, the colour reagent, the wavelength, the limit of quantification or calculations. We do not claim that another standard has replaced PN-Z-04044:1970 — PKN names none.
Method principle
Phenol vapour in air is determined according to the 1970 standard "Determination of phenol vapour content in air"; laboratories describe the method in their scopes as spectrophotometric. The result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 7.8 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 16 mg/m³. The card has no "Scope" field. The standard is withdrawn (10-04-2006); WE DO NOT GIVE details — we did not have the text of the standard.
Applications
- Workplace air — phenol — in the current scopes of 5 laboratories, despite the withdrawal of the standard
- Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 7.8 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 16 mg/m³, "skin" notation (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 245 of the list)
Key parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026) | PN-Z-04044:1970 WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 10-04-2006; the card names no replacing standard; the PN-Z-04159 series on phenol also withdrawn |
| Edition (from the PKN card) | PN-Z-04044:1970, Polish version; published 18-11-1970, 2 pages, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30; replaced PN-Z-04044:1956; card without a "Scope" field |
| Technique (accreditation scopes) | spectrophotometric method — all laboratories; the card gives neither the technique nor the limit of quantification |
| NDS / NDSCh (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 245) | 7.8 mg/m³ / 16 mg/m³; "skin" notation |
| Ranges in accreditation scopes | from 0.50 mg/m³ (AB 484) to 40 mg/m³ (AB 964) |
| Coverage in accreditation scopes (read 04.10.2026) | 6 laboratories and 6 records in the database copy; 5 rows at 5 laboratories in the current PCA documents (AB 438 without this standard from the issue of 01.10.2026); "Laboratories" tab: "PN-70/Z-04044" — 5, "PN-Z-04044" — 1, the same on the production server |
Standard
- Standard number
- PN-Z-04044:1970
- Title (PL)
- Oznaczanie zawartości par fenolu w powietrzu
- Title (EN)
- Determination of phenol vapour content in air
Step-by-step procedure
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Status
PN-Z-04044:1970 withdrawn on 10-04-2006, with no named successor (card as of 04.10.2026).
-
Sampling
WE DO NOT GIVE the method (card without a "Scope" field); in the scope of AB 409 — an absorbing solution.
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Measurement
In the laboratories' scopes — spectrophotometric method; WE DO NOT GIVE conditions.
-
Result and assessment
Concentration in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 7.8 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 16 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447).
Required equipment and apparatus
| Equipment | Example | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Spectrophotometer | Technique given in the accreditation scopes; the card gives no technique — WE DO NOT GIVE the wavelength | — |
Health and safety (OHS)
- Phenol — "skin" notation in the NDS list; chemical laboratory safety rules
- TECHNICAL NOTE: standard withdrawn on 10-04-2006; card without a "Scope" field — the technique and limit of quantification are not known from the standard
Frequently asked questions
Which standard describes this test?
The test is performed according to PN-Z-04044:1970 — “Determination of phenol vapour content in air”.
How does this method work?
Phenol vapour in air is determined according to the 1970 standard "Determination of phenol vapour content in air"; laboratories describe the method in their scopes as spectrophotometric. The result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 7.
What is the measuring range and accuracy?
STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026): PN-Z-04044:1970 WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 10-04-2006; the card names no replacing standard; the PN-Z-04159 series on phenol also withdrawn; Edition (from the PKN card): PN-Z-04044:1970, Polish version; published 18-11-1970, 2 pages, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30; replaced PN-Z-04044:1956; card without a "Scope" field; Technique (accreditation scopes): spectrophotometric method — all laboratories; the card gives neither the technique nor the limit of quantification; NDS / NDSCh (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 245): 7.8 mg/m³ / 16 mg/m³; "skin" notation.
How long does the test take?
The procedure comprises 4 steps. The standard does not give a duration for every stage — the laboratory's own procedure decides.
What equipment is required?
Spectrophotometer.
Where is this test used?
Workplace air — phenol — in the current scopes of 5 laboratories, despite the withdrawal of the standard; Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 7.8 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 16 mg/m³, "skin" notation (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 245 of the list).
What safety precautions apply?
Phenol — "skin" notation in the NDS list; chemical laboratory safety rules; TECHNICAL NOTE: standard withdrawn on 10-04-2006; card without a "Scope" field — the technique and limit of quantification are not known from the standard.
Which laboratory can perform this test?
The test is performed by laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025. On LabCoda you can find them by the standard number PN-Z-04044.