🌿 Iodine in workplace air — absorption in a potassium iodide solution with added ethanol, coloured iodine–starch complex, visible-light spectrophotometry; lowest determinable concentration according to the standard 0.05 mg/m³, MAC (NDS) 0.5 mg/m³, STEL (NDSCh) 1 mg/m³; PN-Z-04433:2011

Environment PN-Z-04433

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card, in full: "A method is given consisting in the absorption of iodine in a potassium iodide solution with added ethanol, formation of a coloured complex of iodine with starch and spectrophotometric measurement in visible light. The lowest concentration of iodine that can be determined by this method is 0.05 mg/m3" (our translation; on the card without a full stop at the end). The card gives neither the air volume nor the wavelength. We did not have the text of the standard (5 pages). The CIOP index of methods from 2000–2017 lists "Jod – nr 1(59) 2009"; 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 317: "Iodine [7553-56-2]" — NDS 0.5 mg/m³, NDSCh 1 mg/m³, without the "skin" notation. The lowest determinable concentration according to the card, 0.05 mg/m³, is 10 % of the NDS.

STATUS (card as of 05.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04433:2011 (Polish version) has neither the heading "Withdrawn" nor a "Withdrawal date" line: published 12-09-2011, 5 pages, price group C, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30; "Replaces" field: PN-Z-04185-02:1988 (Polish version). The PKN search for "PN-Z-04433" (05.10.2026) returns only this standard. The number 04185 does not appear in any current PCA document downloaded from the BIP nor in the knowledge base (searched on 05.10.2026).

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data load up to 17.09.2026, read on 05.10.2026). The number 04433 appears in 2 records at 2 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues of 18.02.2026 and 23.07.2026) — in 2 rows at the same laboratories; 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. The form "PN-Z-04433:2011" — AB 591 and AB 647, without procedures. The "Laboratories" tab (search term "PN-Z-04433") shows both laboratories — checked with a tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 05.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). AB 591 — working environment, air: concentration of iodine 0.05–0.9 mg/m³; AB 647 — air samples collected into an absorbing solution: concentration and content of iodine 0.05–2 mg/m³ (8.0–360 µg per sample). Technique: spectrophotometric method — both laboratories.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — upper limit: AB 591 ends its range at 0.9 mg/m³, i.e. below the NDSCh (1 mg/m³) — a result at the NDSCh lies outside this accredited range. Second — method: the card describes absorption in a solution; AB 647 records samples collected into an absorbing solution, AB 591 does not give the sampling method.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — we do not give the concentrations or volumes of the potassium iodide and ethanol solution, the amount of starch, the volume or flow rate of air sampling, the wavelength or calculations; we do not know the content of the 2009 CIOP article.

Method principle

Iodine from workplace air is absorbed in a potassium iodide solution with added ethanol, forms a coloured iodine–starch complex and is measured spectrophotometrically in visible light (PKN card); the result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 0.5 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 1 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Lowest determinable concentration according to the card — 0.05 mg/m³. WE DO NOT GIVE details — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Workplace air — iodine — in the current scopes of 2 laboratories
• Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 0.5 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 1 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 317 of the list)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04433:2011

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Oznaczanie jodu na stanowiskach pracy metodą spektrofotometrii absorpcyjnej w świetle widzialnym

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Determination of iodine at workplaces by visible absorption spectrophotometry

Step-by-step procedure

1. Sampling

   Absorption of iodine from air in a potassium iodide solution with added ethanol (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the volume.

2. Colour reaction

   Formation of the coloured iodine–starch complex (PKN card).

3. Measurement

   Spectrophotometry in visible light (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the wavelength.

4. Result and assessment

   Concentration in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 0.5 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 1 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447); lowest determinable concentration 0.05 mg/m³.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Iodine, potassium iodide and ethanol — chemical laboratory safety rules
• TECHNICAL NOTE: at AB 591 the range ends at 0.9 mg/m³ — below the NDSCh of 1 mg/m³

Frequently asked questions