🌿 Propan-2-ol (isopropyl alcohol) in workplace air — gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection (GC-FID); in the CIOP procedure adsorption on 400/200 mg activated carbon and desorption with a mixture of carbon disulphide and N,N-dimethylformamide (1:1); lowest determinable concentration according to the standard 90 mg/m³, MAC (NDS) 900 mg/m³, NDSCh 1200 mg/m³, "skin" notation; PN-Z-04535:2022-01

Environment PN-Z-04535

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. Scope from the PKN catalogue card, in full (our translation): "This standard gives a method for determining propan-2-ol (CAS No. 67-63-0) in workplace air using gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection. The method is used in the control of sanitary and hygienic conditions. The lowest concentration of propan-2-ol that can be determined under the air sampling and determination conditions described in the standard is 90 mg/m3" (no full stop at the end on the card). We did not have the text of the standard (8 pages).

ACCORDING TO THE CIOP PROCEDURE (A. Jeżewska, A. Woźnica, "Propan-2-ol. Determining in workplace air with gas chromatography", Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy 2020, no. 1(103), pp. 157–170 — read in full). The aim of the work was "the amendment of standard PN-Z-04224-02:1992", which according to the article has been withdrawn from the set of Polish Standards; in the old standard propan-2-ol was adsorbed on silica gel, extracted with water and determined by GC-FID, with a quantification limit of 240 mg/m³. The procedure in the appendix has the same lowest determinable concentration as the card (90 mg/m³ for 9 l of air), but the article does not say it is the text of PN-Z-04535:2022-01 — the figures below are figures of the procedure. Principle: adsorption of vapours on activated carbon (400/200 mg tubes), desorption with 2 ml of a mixture of carbon disulphide and N,N-dimethylformamide (1:1, v/v) for 30 min with shaking, GC-FID analysis. Sampling according to PN-Z-04008-7: for assessment against the NDS up to 9 l of air at a flow rate not greater than 9 l/h, against the NDSCh 2.25 l at 9 l/h; samples in a freezer are stable for 10 days (in a desiccator at room temperature — smaller peak areas). Example conditions: HP-INNOWAX capillary column 60 m × 0.25 mm × 0.15 µm, injector 200 °C, column 60 °C for 7 min, 20 °C/min to 180 °C for 3 min, detector 240 °C, split 30:1, injection 1 µl (helium flow: 1.5 ml/min in the experimental part, 1 ml/min in the procedure). Calibration 0.405–8.1 mg/ml; desorption coefficient 0.99 (determined for each batch of carbon); the back-up layer must not contain more than 10 % of the amount in the main layer, otherwise the result is indicative; X = 2(c1 + c2)·1000/(V·d). Validation according to PN-EN 482: range 90–1800 mg/m³ (1/10–2 NDS), LOD 0.09 µg/ml (20 µg/m³), LOQ 0.28 µg/ml (62 µg/m³), overall precision 5.45 %, expanded uncertainty 24 %. On the HP-INNOWAX column propan-2-ol is separated from carbon disulphide, N,N-dimethylformamide, acetone, methanol, isopropyl acetate, propan-1-ol and n-butyl acetate.

NDS VALUES (list in the annex to the regulation of 26 March 2026, Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). Item 472: "Propan-2-ol [67-63-0]" — NDS 900 mg/m³, NDSCh 1200 mg/m³, "skin" notation. The lowest determinable concentration according to the card, 90 mg/m³, is 10 % of the NDS.

STATUS (card as of 04.10.2026). The card of PN-Z-04535:2022-01 (Polish version) has no "Withdrawn" heading — the standard is CURRENT: published 10-01-2022, 8 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-04535" (04.10.2026) returns only this standard.

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 04535 appears in 8 records at 6 laboratories; in the current PCA documents (read on 03.10.2026; issues from 13.01.2026 to 08.09.2026) — in 8 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 entries read "PN-Z-04535:2022-01": AB 1854 — next to work instruction IR-23 edition 3 of 05.01.2023; AB 1207 — next to procedure PB-06A edition 7 of 20.01.2025; AB 882 — next to procedures PB-01 edition 5 of 12.01.2026 (GC-FID) and PB-10 edition 1 of 31.08.2022 (GC-MS); AB 300 — next to instruction IN-59 ed. 3 of 18.12.2025; AB 591 splits the standard between two items: content in the sample "excluding clauses 7 and 12" and concentration in air "clauses 7 and 12" (calculated). The "Laboratories" tab (query "PN-Z-04535") shows all 6 laboratories — checked with the tab's query on the production server labcoda.pl on 04.10.2026. PREDECESSOR: the withdrawn PN-Z-04224-02:1992 is still cited by 8 laboratories (9 records in the database copy, 9 rows in PCA; number with a hyphen, full stop or slash before the part number): "PN-92/Z-04224/02" — AB 581, AB 632, AB 647 and AB 1144; "PN-Z-04224-02:1992" — AB 340 and AB 746; "PN-92-Z-04224/02" — AB 1642; "PN-92/Z-04224.02" — AB 522 (two items next to PB-17-27) — both AB 522 items have been suspended at the laboratory's request from 18.08.2026 to 14.02.2027.

WHAT THE LABORATORIES TEST (database copy). Object: working environment — air, samples collected on sorbent tubes. Quantity: concentration (content) of propan-2-ol (isopropyl alcohol). Ranges in mg/m³: 0.17–2500 (AB 886), 0.33–3300 (AB 1207, GC-MS), 1.0–2400 (AB 300), 70–1850 (AB 591, calculated), 80–6428 (AB 882, GC-MS), 82.2–7192 (AB 882, GC-FID); per sample: 800–11230 µg (AB 1854), 0.6–16 mg (AB 591). Technique: GC-FID — 5 laboratories; GC-MS — AB 1207 and the second item of AB 882.

WHERE A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT IS EASY TO GET. First — detector: the title and card of the standard speak of gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection; the GC-MS items (AB 1207, AB 882 with PB-10) are run according to in-house procedures, with the standard cited next to them. Second — limit of quantification: according to the card the lowest determinable concentration is 90 mg/m³; five laboratories state a lower bottom limit (from 0.17 to 82.2 mg/m³), which requires conditions different from those in the standard — the report should name them. Third — NDSCh: in the CIOP procedure the sample for assessment against the NDSCh is 2.25 l at 9 l/h, and for the NDS up to 9 l at a flow rate not greater than 9 l/h. Fourth — back-up layer: when the shorter carbon layer contains more than 10 % of the amount from the longer one, the result is indicative according to the CIOP procedure; in the tests 100/50 mg tubes let 12.7 % of propan-2-ol through to the second layer, 400/200 mg tubes — none. Fifth — old standard: a result according to PN-Z-04224-02:1992 (silica gel, water, quantification limit 240 mg/m³ according to the article) is not a result according to PN-Z-04535:2022-01. Sixth — AB 591: in the CIOP procedure clause 7 is air sampling and clause 12 is calculation of the result; whether the numbering of the standard is the same WE DO NOT GIVE without the text of the standard.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — we give the figures of the procedure from the CIOP article and label them as such; we do not attribute them to the standard.

Method principle

Propan-2-ol vapours from workplace air are adsorbed (in the CIOP procedure on activated carbon in a tube with 400 and 200 mg layers), desorbed with a mixture of carbon disulphide and N,N-dimethylformamide (1:1) and analysed by gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection; the concentration from the calibration curve, corrected for the desorption coefficient, is converted to mg/m³ and compared with the NDS of 900 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 1200 mg/m³. Lowest determinable concentration according to the card of the standard — 90 mg/m³.

Applications

• Workplace air — propan-2-ol (isopropyl alcohol) — in the scopes of 6 laboratories
• Assessment of occupational exposure against the NDS of 900 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 1200 mg/m³, "skin" notation (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, item 472 of the list)

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04535:2022-01

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Oznaczanie propan-2-olu na stanowiskach pracy metodą chromatografii gazowej z detekcją płomieniowo-jonizacyjną

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Determination of propan-2-ol at workplaces by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection

Step-by-step procedure

1. Status and scope

   PN-Z-04535:2022-01 current (card as of 04.10.2026); GC-FID; lowest determinable concentration 90 mg/m³.

2. Sampling

   According to PN-Z-04008-7: up to 9 l (NDS) or 2.25 l (NDSCh) at 9 l/h; samples in a freezer up to 10 days (CIOP procedure).

3. Desorption

   Each carbon layer separately, 2 ml CS₂ + DMF (1:1), 30 min with shaking (CIOP procedure).

4. Analysis

   GC-FID, 1 µl each, in duplicate; difference of results up to ±5 % of the mean (CIOP procedure).

5. Result and assessment

   X = 2(c1 + c2)·1000/(V·d) in mg/m³; back-up layer ≤ 10 % of the main layer (CIOP procedure); comparison with the NDS of 900 and NDSCh of 1200 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026 item 447).

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• Organic solvents (carbon disulphide, N,N-dimethylformamide) — with personal protective equipment under a fume hood; residues for disposal (CIOP procedure)
• TECHNICAL NOTE: GC-MS items are not an execution of the GC-FID standard; a result according to the withdrawn PN-Z-04224-02:1992 is not a result according to PN-Z-04535:2022-01

Frequently asked questions