🌿 2-Methoxypropyl acetate in workplace air — activated carbon, carbon disulfide, gas chromatography; lowest determinable concentration according to the standard 5 mg/m³; MAC (NDS) 100 mg/m³, STEL (NDSCh) 200 mg/m³; PN-Z-04305:2003

Environment PN-Z-04305

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN card, in full: "A method is given consisting in adsorption of 2-methoxypropyl vapour on activated carbon, desorption of the compound with carbon disulfide and analysis of the solution obtained by gas chromatography. The lowest concentration of 2-methoxypropyl that can be determined by this method is 5 mg/m3" (our translation; spelling as on the card — the scope lacks the word "acetate", which is in the title; no full stop at the end). The card does not give the detector, the volume or the flow rate of the air sample. We did not have the text of the standard (7 pages); the CIOP method index for 2000–2017 lists no article on 2-methoxypropyl acetate — it lists only 1-methoxypropan-2-ol (searched on 05.10.2026).

NDS VALUES (list in the annex to the regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Item 436: "2-Methoxypropyl acetate [70657-70-4]" — NDS 100 mg/m³, NDSCh 200 mg/m³, no "skin" notation and no note on the fraction; the substance is not covered by the transitional provisions of § 2. The lowest determinable concentration according to the card, 5 mg/m³, is 5 % of the NDS. The adjacent item 435 concerns the isomer — "2-Methoxy-1-methylethyl acetate [108-65-6]": NDS 260 mg/m³, NDSCh 520 mg/m³, with the "skin" notation.

STATUS (card as of 05.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04305:2003 (Polish version) has neither the heading "Withdrawn" nor a "Withdrawal date" line: publication 28-10-2003, 7 pages, price group D, Health, Environment and Medicine Sector, KT 159 Chemical and Dust Hazards in the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 under "PN-Z-04305" and "metoksypropylu" (05.10.2026) returns only this standard; under "octanu 2-metoksypropylu" (39 results) — this standard and standards on other acetates, including the current PN-Z-04119-10:2008 on 2-methoxy-1-methylethyl acetate, which is described in a separate entry of this database.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17.09.2026, read on 05.10.2026). Number 04305 appears in 2 records at 2 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues of 08.05.2026 and 17.09.2026) — 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 pages are repeated in any document. The AB 1226 entry is suspended — bold italics and the footnote "Accreditation suspended at the request of the body in the part of the scope marked in bold italics from 10.06.2026 to 07.12.2026" (our translation; issue No. 26 of 17.09.2026). Notations: "PN-Z-04305:2003" — AB 1226; "PN-Z-04305:2003 pkt 8" (item 8) — AB 719, alongside procedure PA-14 issue 11 of 15.04.2025. The "Laboratories" tab (search term "PN-Z-04305") shows both laboratories — checked with the tab query on the labcoda.pl production server on 05.10.2026.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy and PCA documents). AB 719 — working environment, air samples collected on sorption tubes with activated carbon: content of 2-methoxypropyl acetate 0.030–10.0 mg per sample (no range in mg/m³ is given). AB 1226 — working environment, air: concentration and content of 2-methoxypropyl acetate 10–400 mg/m³ (0.050–2.0 mg per sample); entry suspended from 10.06.2026 to 07.12.2026. Technique: gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) — both laboratories.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — two isomers: 2-methoxypropyl acetate [70657-70-4] (this standard, NDS 100 mg/m³) and 2-methoxy-1-methylethyl acetate [108-65-6] (PN-Z-04119-10:2008, NDS 260 mg/m³, "skin") are different substances with different values; assigning the result to the wrong isomer changes the exposure assessment by more than a factor of two. Second — part of the standard: AB 719 cites "item 8" of the standard alongside its own procedure and gives the range only in mg per sample; conversion to mg/m³ depends on the volume of air sampled. Third — suspension: until 7 December 2026 the only non-suspended entry with this standard is AB 719. Fourth — scope of the card: the scope sentence on the card lacks the word "acetate"; the title of the standard and the laboratory entries speak of 2-methoxypropyl acetate.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — we do not give the detector according to the standard, the volume or flow rate of the air sample, the type of tube, the column, the chromatograph conditions or the calculations. We do not give what item 8 of the standard cited by AB 719 covers.

Method principle

2-Methoxypropyl acetate vapour from workplace air is adsorbed on activated carbon, desorbed with carbon disulfide and the solution obtained is analysed by gas chromatography (PKN card); lowest determinable concentration according to the card — 5 mg/m³. The result in mg/m³ is compared with the NDS of 100 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 200 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). WE DO NOT GIVE the detector according to the standard — the card does not name it; both laboratories use GC-FID.

Applications

• Workplace air — 2-methoxypropyl acetate — in the current scopes of 2 laboratories (AB 1226 entry suspended until 07.12.2026)
• Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 100 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 200 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 436 of the list)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04305:2003

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Oznaczanie octanu 2-metoksypropylu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Determination of 2-methoxypropyl acetate at workplaces by gas chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Sampling

   Adsorption of the vapour on activated carbon (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the volume and flow rate.

2. Desorption

   Desorption with carbon disulfide (PKN card); WE DO NOT GIVE the volume and time.

3. Analysis

   Gas chromatography of the solution obtained (PKN card); in the scopes — GC-FID; WE DO NOT GIVE the conditions.

4. Result and assessment

   Concentration of 2-methoxypropyl acetate in mg/m³; comparison with the NDS of 100 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 200 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447) — not with the values of the isomer [108-65-6].

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• 2-Methoxypropyl acetate and carbon disulfide — safety rules of the chemical laboratory
• TECHNICAL NOTE: 2-methoxypropyl acetate [70657-70-4] and 2-methoxy-1-methylethyl acetate [108-65-6] have different NDS values (100 and 260 mg/m³) and different standards (PN-Z-04305 and PN-Z-04119-10)

Frequently asked questions