🌿 Butyl methacrylate in workplace air — adsorption of vapours on activated carbon, desorption with carbon disulphide, gas chromatography; lowest determinable concentration according to the standard 10 mg/m³, MAC (NDS) 100 mg/m³, STEL (NDSCh) 300 mg/m³; PN-Z-04283:2001

Environment PN-Z-04283

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card, in full: "A method is given consisting in the adsorption of butyl methacrylate vapours on activated carbon, desorption of the compound with carbon disulphide and analysis of the solution obtained by gas chromatography. The lowest concentration of butyl methacrylate that can be determined by this method is 10 mg/m3" (our translation; on the card without a full stop at the end). The card does not give the detector. We did not have the text of the standard (5 pages); the CIOP index of methods from 2000–2017 lists no article on butyl methacrylate (searched on 04.10.2026).

NDS VALUES (list in the annex to the regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Item 356: "Butyl methacrylate [97-88-1]" — NDS 100 mg/m³, NDSCh 300 mg/m³, no "skin" notation. The lowest determinable concentration according to the card, 10 mg/m³, is 10 % of the NDS.

STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04283:2001 (Polish version) has neither the heading "Withdrawn" nor a "Withdrawal date" line: published 13-12-2001, 5 pages, price group C, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30; the card has no "Replaces" field. The PKN search for "PN-Z-04283" (04.10.2026) returns only this standard; for "metakrylanu butylu", among the standards on workplace air it is the only current standard for a methacrylate (withdrawn are, among others, PN-Z-04113-09:1992 for methyl methacrylate and PN-Z-04113-06:1986 for butyl acrylate). The entries of this database on methyl methacrylate (PN-Z-04113-09) and butyl acrylate (PN-Z-04113-06) name the same standard as the current one for methacrylates.

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 04283 appears in 4 records at 4 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues from 08.01.2026 to 28.07.2026) — in 4 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. All records have the form "PN-Z-04283:2001"; AB 1207 — next to procedure PB-06A edition 7 of 20.01.2025. The "Laboratories" tab (search term "PN-Z-04283") shows all 4 laboratories — checked with a tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 04.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy). Object: working environment — air; AB 1144 and AB 1642 — samples collected on a solid sorbent, AB 1207 — on activated carbon tubes (at AB 1207 the object also covers ambient and indoor air), AB 869 — without a note. Quantity: concentration (content) of butyl methacrylate. Ranges in mg/m³: 0.0740–920 (AB 1642), 0.33–1700 (AB 1207, GC-MS), 1.40–400 (AB 1144); AB 869 — 0.01–5 mg per sample. Technique: gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) — AB 869, AB 1144, AB 1642; with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) — AB 1207 according to procedure PB-06A.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — similar names: butyl methacrylate (item 356, NDS 100 mg/m³) and butyl acrylate (item 9, NDS 11 mg/m³, withdrawn PN-Z-04113-06) are different substances — a mix-up in the order or in the report changes the exposure assessment ninefold. Second — limit of quantification: according to the card 10 mg/m³; all laboratories with a range in mg/m³ give a lower bottom limit (from 0.0740 to 1.40 mg/m³), which requires conditions different from those in the standard — the report should name them. Third — detector: the card does not give the detector; AB 1207 uses GC-MS according to an in-house procedure, with the standard alongside. Fourth — object: at AB 1207 the same item covers ambient and indoor air, for which the NDS is not a reference value. Fifth — the NDSCh of 300 mg/m³ requires a short-term measurement whose conditions WE DO NOT GIVE.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — we do not give the volume or flow rate of air sampling, the mass of carbon, the volume of carbon disulphide, the column, the detector required by the standard, the chromatograph conditions or calculations.

Method principle

Butyl methacrylate vapours from workplace air are adsorbed on activated carbon, desorbed with carbon disulphide, and the solution is analysed by gas chromatography (PKN card); the result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 100 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 300 mg/m³. Lowest determinable concentration according to the card — 10 mg/m³. WE DO NOT GIVE details — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Workplace air — butyl methacrylate — in the current scopes of 4 laboratories
• Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 100 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 300 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 356 of the list)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04283:2001

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Oznaczanie metakrylanu butylu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Determination of butyl methacrylate at workplaces by gas chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Sampling

   Adsorption of vapours on activated carbon (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE details.

2. Desorption

   With carbon disulphide (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the volume or time.

3. Analysis

   Gas chromatography (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the conditions.

4. Result and assessment

   Concentration in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 100 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 300 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447); lowest determinable concentration 10 mg/m³.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Carbon disulphide and butyl methacrylate — work in a fume hood, chemical laboratory safety rules
• TECHNICAL NOTE: butyl methacrylate (NDS 100 mg/m³) is a different substance from butyl acrylate (NDS 11 mg/m³); a bottom limit below 10 mg/m³ requires conditions different from those in the standard

Frequently asked questions