🌿 Methylcyclohexane in workplace air — adsorption of vapours on activated charcoal, extraction with toluene, gas chromatography; MAC (NDS) 1600 mg/m³, STEL (NDSCh) 3000 mg/m³; PN-Z-04137-02:1984 (withdrawn 08-07-2015)
In short
Polish standard of 1984 with a method for determining methylcyclohexane in workplace air: the vapours are adsorbed on activated charcoal, extracted with toluene and analysed by chromatography — toluene, not carbon disulphide, is the solvent here. The test is performed according to PN-Z-04137-02:1984; Ranges in accreditation scopes: from 0.17 mg/m³ (AB 886) to 6000 mg/m³ (AB 632, AB 746, AB 886). The procedure comprises 4 steps; it is used for: Workplace air — methylcyclohexane — in the current scopes of 6 laboratories, despite the withdrawal of the standard, Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 1600 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 3000 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 376 of the list).
At a glance
- Standard: PN-Z-04137-02:1984
- Category: Environment
- Procedure steps: 4
- STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026): PN-Z-04137-02:1984 WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 08-07-2015; the card names no replacing standard; PN-Z-04137-01:1984 also withdrawn
- Edition (from the PKN card): PN-Z-04137-02:1984, Polish version; published 20-08-1984, 3 pages, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30
- Method (card): activated charcoal, extraction with toluene, chromatography; the card gives no limit of quantification
Overview
WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN catalogue card, in full (our translation): "A method is given consisting in adsorption of methylcyclohexane vapours on activated charcoal, extracting it with toluene and chromatographic analysis of the solution obtained. The method is used for determining the concentration of methylcyclohexane vapours in workplace air. The apparatus and instruments, the preparation of reagents and solutions, and the preparation of the calibration curve are given" (no full stop at the end on the card). The card gives no limit of quantification. We did not have the text of the standard (3 pages). The CIOP index of methods from 2000–2017 lists "Methylcyclohexane – no. 1(67) 2011" and a collective article "Benzene, cyclohexane, ethylbenzene, n-hexane, methylcyclohexane, toluene – no. 1(67) 2011"; we did not read these articles and give nothing from them.
NDS VALUES (list in the annex to the regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Item 376: "Methylcyclohexane [108-87-2]" — NDS 1600 mg/m³, NDSCh 3000 mg/m³, no "skin" notation.
STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04137-02:1984 (Polish version) has the heading "Withdrawn": published 20-08-1984, withdrawal date 08-07-2015, 3 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 does not name a replacing standard. The PKN search for "PN-Z-04137" and "metylocykloheksanu" (04.10.2026) returns only two parts of the series — PN-Z-04137-01:1984 (general provisions and scope of the standard) and PN-Z-04137-02:1984 — both labelled "Withdrawn"; it shows no current standard for methylcyclohexane.
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 04137-02 (with a hyphen, full stop or slash before the part number) appears in 7 records at 6 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues from 26.11.2025 to 23.07.2026 — all issued after the withdrawal of the standard) — in 6 rows at the same laboratories (AB 886 has two records in the database copy and one row in PCA); a search of all PCA documents downloaded from the BIP found no laboratories outside the database copy; no item with this standard is suspended and no document repeats pages. Old form "PN-84/Z-04137/02" — AB 581, AB 632, AB 1144 and AB 886 (next to procedure PB-02 edition no. 12 of 16.10.2023); form "PN-Z-04137-02:1984" — AB 746 and AB 882 (next to procedure PB-10 edition 1 of 31.08.2022). "Laboratories" tab: "PN-84/Z-04137/02" shows 4 laboratories, "PN-Z-04137-02" — 2, 6 in total, 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 some laboratories samples collected on sorbent tubes, sorption tubes or a solid sorbent. Quantity: concentration (content) of methylcyclohexane. Ranges in mg/m³: 0.17–6000 (AB 886), 0.86–4415 (AB 882, GC-MS), 1.70–4960 (AB 1144), 2.75–4750 (AB 581), 62.5–6000 (AB 746), 160–6000 (AB 632). Technique: gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) — 5 laboratories; AB 882 — only gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS) according to procedure PB-10.
WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — status: the standard has been withdrawn since 08-07-2015, and the PKN search shows no other standard for methylcyclohexane; 6 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 — solvent: according to the card extraction is done with toluene; when measuring a mixture of solvents that also contains toluene, the same sample cannot serve to determine toluene — how the standard resolves the separation of methylcyclohexane from toluene, WE DO NOT GIVE. Third — limit of quantification: the card does not give it; the bottom limits of the laboratories differ almost a thousandfold (from 0.17 to 160 mg/m³), and 160 mg/m³ at AB 632 is 10 % of the NDS. Fourth — detector: AB 882 determines methylcyclohexane only by GC-MS according to in-house procedure PB-10, with the standard next to it. Fifth — the NDSCh of 3000 mg/m³ requires a short-term measurement, the conditions of which 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 type of tube and mass of charcoal, the volume of toluene, the column, the detector required by the standard, chromatograph conditions, the limit of quantification or calculations. We do not claim that another standard has replaced PN-Z-04137-02:1984 — PKN names none.
Method principle
Methylcyclohexane vapours from workplace air are adsorbed on activated charcoal, extracted with toluene, and the solution obtained is analysed by chromatography; the result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 1600 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 3000 mg/m³. The card gives no limit of quantification. The standard is withdrawn (08-07-2015); WE DO NOT GIVE details — we did not have the text of the standard.
Applications
- Workplace air — methylcyclohexane — in the current scopes of 6 laboratories, despite the withdrawal of the standard
- Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 1600 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 3000 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 376 of the list)
Key parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026) | PN-Z-04137-02:1984 WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 08-07-2015; the card names no replacing standard; PN-Z-04137-01:1984 also withdrawn |
| Edition (from the PKN card) | PN-Z-04137-02:1984, Polish version; published 20-08-1984, 3 pages, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30 |
| Method (card) | activated charcoal, extraction with toluene, chromatography; the card gives no limit of quantification |
| NDS / NDSCh (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 376) | 1600 mg/m³ / 3000 mg/m³ |
| Ranges in accreditation scopes | from 0.17 mg/m³ (AB 886) to 6000 mg/m³ (AB 632, AB 746, AB 886) |
| Coverage in accreditation scopes (read 04.10.2026) | 6 laboratories, 7 records in the database copy, 6 rows in PCA; "Laboratories" tab: "PN-84/Z-04137/02" — 4, "PN-Z-04137-02" — 2, the same on the production server |
Standard
- Standard number
- PN-Z-04137-02:1984
- Title (PL)
- Ochrona czystości powietrza — Badania zawartości metylocykloheksanu — Oznaczanie metylocykloheksanu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej z wzbogacaniem próbki
- Title (EN)
- Air purity protection — Tests for methylcyclohexane content — Determination of methylcyclohexane at workplaces by gas chromatography with sample enrichment
Step-by-step procedure
-
Status
PN-Z-04137-02:1984 withdrawn on 08-07-2015, with no named successor (card as of 04.10.2026).
-
Sampling
Adsorption of vapours on activated charcoal; WE DO NOT GIVE details.
-
Extraction and analysis
Extraction with toluene, chromatographic analysis; calibration curve (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE conditions.
-
Result and assessment
Concentration in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 1600 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 3000 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447).
Required equipment and apparatus
| Equipment | Example | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Gas chromatograph | Analysis of the solution after extraction (PKN card); the card does not give the detector or column | — |
| Air sampling set with an activated charcoal tube | Adsorption of vapours (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the volume or flow rate | — |
Reagents, media and consumables
| Reagent | CAS | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Activated charcoal | — | Sorbent for methylcyclohexane vapours (PKN card) |
| Toluene | 108-88-3 | For extraction (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the volume |
Health and safety (OHS)
- Toluene as extractant — work in a fume hood, chemical laboratory safety rules
- TECHNICAL NOTE: standard withdrawn on 08-07-2015; the card gives no limit of quantification; the extractant is toluene
Frequently asked questions
Which standard describes this test?
The test is performed according to PN-Z-04137-02:1984 — “Air purity protection — Tests for methylcyclohexane content — Determination of methylcyclohexane at workplaces by gas chromatography with sample enrichment”.
How does this method work?
Methylcyclohexane vapours from workplace air are adsorbed on activated charcoal, extracted with toluene, and the solution obtained is analysed by chromatography; the result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 1600 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 3000 mg/m³. The card gives no limit of quantification.
What is the measuring range and accuracy?
STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026): PN-Z-04137-02:1984 WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 08-07-2015; the card names no replacing standard; PN-Z-04137-01:1984 also withdrawn; Edition (from the PKN card): PN-Z-04137-02:1984, Polish version; published 20-08-1984, 3 pages, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30; Method (card): activated charcoal, extraction with toluene, chromatography; the card gives no limit of quantification; NDS / NDSCh (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 376): 1600 mg/m³ / 3000 mg/m³.
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?
Gas chromatograph, Air sampling set with an activated charcoal tube.
Where is this test used?
Workplace air — methylcyclohexane — in the current scopes of 6 laboratories, despite the withdrawal of the standard; Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 1600 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 3000 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 376 of the list).
What safety precautions apply?
Toluene as extractant — work in a fume hood, chemical laboratory safety rules; TECHNICAL NOTE: standard withdrawn on 08-07-2015; the card gives no limit of quantification; the extractant is toluene.
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-04137-02.