🌿 Naphthalene in workplace air — adsorption of vapours on silica gel, desorption with acetone, gas chromatography; lowest determinable concentration according to the standard 2.5 mg/m³, MAC (NDS) 20 mg/m³, NDSCh 50 mg/m³, "skin" notation; PN-Z-04098-3:2005

Environment PN-Z-04098-3

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN catalogue card, in full (our translation): "A method is given consisting in adsorption of naphthalene vapours on silica gel, desorption of the compound with acetone and analysis of the solution obtained by gas chromatography. The lowest concentration of naphthalene that can be determined by this method is 2.5 mg/m3" (no full stop at the end on the card). We did not have the text of the standard (7 pages). The CIOP index of methods for 2000–2017 records a method for naphthalene in "Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy" no. 4(34) of 2002; we did not read that 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 402: "Naphthalene [91-20-3]" — NDS 20 mg/m³, NDSCh 50 mg/m³, "skin" notation (according to footnote 4 of the list, absorption through the skin "may be as significant as in exposure by inhalation"). The lowest determinable concentration according to the card, 2.5 mg/m³, is 12.5 % of the NDS.

STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04098-3:2005 (Polish version) has no "Withdrawn" heading — the standard is CURRENT: published 23-06-2005, 7 pages, price group D, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment, ICS 13.040.30; national standard, without the fields "Implements" and "Supersedes". The PKN search for "PN-Z-04098-3" (04.10.2026) returns only this standard; the search for "naftalenu" (naphthalene) also returns the earlier sheets of the series of 1975, all labelled "Withdrawn": PN-Z-04098-00 (general provisions and scope), PN-Z-04098-01 (colorimetric method) and PN-Z-04098-02 (spectrophotometric method), as well as the current standards for 1-methylnaphthalene (PN-Z-04328:2004) and 2-methylnaphthalene (PN-Z-04411:2011).

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 04098-3 appears in 10 records at 7 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues from 04.09.2025 to 08.09.2026) — in 10 rows at the same laboratories; a search of all PCA documents downloaded from the BIP found no laboratories outside the database copy; no document repeats pages. All entries read "PN-Z-04098-3:2005": AB 1207 — next to procedure PB-06B edition 8 of 20.01.2025; AB 632 — next to instruction IB-44 edition 1 of 09.01.2021; AB 522 — next to procedure PB-17-21 edition 7 of 20.06.2022 (in the "content" item excluding clause 5.3); AB 719 — in the second item, for waste gases, "excluding clause 8". AB 300 has two items with the same range — at its seat in Jastrzębie-Zdrój and at its Zabrze branch. SUSPENSION: in the scope of AB 522 (issue no. 26 of 18.08.2026) both items with this standard are printed in bold italics and marked with an asterisk — "Accreditation suspended at the request of the body in the part of the scope marked in bold italics from 18.08.2026 to 14.02.2027"; at the other 6 laboratories the items are not suspended. The "Laboratories" tab (query "PN-Z-04098-3") shows 7 laboratories, including AB 522 — checked with the tab's query on the production server labcoda.pl on 04.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA). Object: working environment — air, samples collected on sorbent tubes (AB 719: with silica gel); AB 719 also general environment — waste gas samples. Quantity: concentration (content) of naphthalene. Ranges in mg/m³: 0.28–200 (AB 300, both locations), 0.5–460 (AB 1207), 0.62–100 (AB 746), 1–100 (AB 632), 2.5–160 (AB 935), 2.61–68.89 (AB 522, suspended); per sample: 0.050–1.60 mg (AB 719, air and waste gases), 47–1240 µg (AB 522, suspended). Technique: gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) — 6 laboratories; AB 1207 — gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (GC-MS).

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — limit of quantification: according to the card the lowest concentration determinable by this method is 2.5 mg/m³; four laboratories state a lower bottom limit (AB 300 — 0.28, AB 1207 — 0.5, AB 746 — 0.62, AB 632 — 1 mg/m³), which requires conditions different from those in the standard — the report should name them. Second — sorbent: the standard provides for silica gel and desorption with acetone; the card does not say whether another sorbent may be used, and WE DO NOT GIVE this. Third — suspension: a result from an AB 522 item between 18.08.2026 and 14.02.2027 is not an accredited result. Fourth — object and detector: the AB 719 item for waste gases concerns the general environment, while the NDS and NDSCh apply only to workplaces; AB 1207 determines naphthalene by GC-MS according to procedure PB-06B. Fifth — skin and NDSCh: measurement in air does not cover absorption through the skin; WE DO NOT GIVE the conditions of the short-term measurement against the NDSCh of 50 mg/m³.

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 silica gel, the volume of acetone, the column, the detector required by the standard, chromatograph conditions, desorption coefficient, calculations or the content of clauses 5.3 and 8 excluded by AB 522 and AB 719. We do not describe the withdrawn PN-Z-04098 sheets of 1975 or the standards for methylnaphthalenes.

Method principle

Naphthalene vapours from workplace air are adsorbed on silica gel, the compound is desorbed with acetone and the solution obtained is analysed by gas chromatography; the result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 20 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 50 mg/m³. Lowest concentration determinable by this method — 2.5 mg/m³ (PKN card). WE DO NOT GIVE details of sampling, desorption or chromatographic conditions — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Workplace air — naphthalene — in the scopes of 7 laboratories (AB 522 suspended from 18.08.2026 to 14.02.2027)
• Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 20 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 50 mg/m³, "skin" notation (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 402 of the list)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04098-3:2005

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Badania zawartości naftalenu — Część 3: Oznaczanie naftalenu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Tests for naphthalene content — Part 3: Determination of naphthalene at workplaces by gas chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Status and scope

   PN-Z-04098-3:2005 current (card as of 04.10.2026); naphthalene vapours in workplace air.

2. Sampling

   Adsorption on silica gel; WE DO NOT GIVE details.

3. Desorption and analysis

   Desorption with acetone, gas chromatography; WE DO NOT GIVE the conditions.

4. Result and assessment

   Concentration in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 20 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 50 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447); lowest determinable concentration 2.5 mg/m³.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Acetone as desorption solvent — work under a fume hood, chemical laboratory safety rules
• TECHNICAL NOTE: items of AB 522 suspended from 18.08.2026 to 14.02.2027; a bottom limit below 2.5 mg/m³ requires conditions different from those in the standard

Frequently asked questions