🌿 Nine carcinogenic PAHs in workplace air — filter, Amberlite XAD-2 and HPLC, PN-Z-04240-5

Environment PN-Z-04240-5

Overview

WHAT THE STANDARD COVERS. The scope from the PKN catalogue card, quoted in full: "A method is given consisting in collecting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on a glass-fibre filter and Amberlite XAD-2, extraction with acetonitrile and determination of individual PAHs by HPLC with spectrophotometric or spectrofluorimetric detection. The lowest concentrations of anthracene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, dibenzo(ah)anthracene, benzo(ghi)perylene and indeno(123 cd)pyrene that can be determined by this method are respectively, in micrograms per cubic metre: 0.0625; 0.125; 0.25; 0.125; 0.125, 0.25; 0.5; 0.25; 0.25." The sample therefore has two media collected together — the filter and the resin; their roles are described in the text of the standard, which we did not have.

STATUS (state of the card on 28 September 2026). The card has no withdrawal note and no "Superseded by" field — the standard is CURRENT. The card has no "Supersedes" field. Edition: published 24-03-2006, 9 pages, KT 159 (Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment), ICS 13.040.30.

THE LIMIT VALUE IS A SUM, NOT THE CONCENTRATION OF ONE SUBSTANCE. The Polish NDS list as worded by the regulation of 26 March 2026 (Journal of Laws 2026, item 447), item 569 "Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) – as the sum of products of concentrations and carcinogenicity factors of 9 carcinogenic PAHs": NDS 0.002 mg/m³, i.e. 2 µg/m³, with the "skin" notation. The factors from the footnote of the list: dibenzo[a,h]anthracene — 5; benzo[a]pyrene — 1; benzo[a]anthracene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene — 0.1 each; anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene and chrysene — 0.01 each. These are exactly the nine substances of this standard. A separate row, item 43, gives an NDS of 0.002 mg/m³ for benzo[a]pyrene alone.

A CALCULATION WORTH DOING BEFORE MEASURING — A PLACE FOR A SEEMINGLY CORRECT RESULT. The quantification limits from the card multiplied by the factors from the list give: dibenzo(a,h)anthracene 0.5 × 5 = 2.5 µg/m³ — this component alone exceeds the NDS of 2 µg/m³; benzo(a)pyrene 0.25 × 1 = 0.25 µg/m³, i.e. 12.5 % of the NDS; all nine together — about 2.8 µg/m³, 141 % of the NDS. A result "below the quantification limit" for dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, entered into the sum at the value of that limit, would by itself decide an exceedance. The assessment therefore depends on the laboratory's actual limit and on the convention adopted for components below the limit — both must be found in the report. Laboratories declare much lower limits for dibenzo(a,h)anthracene than the card: among those giving them as a concentration, from 0.0083 µg/m³ (AB 1207) to 0.09 µg/m³ (AB 746 — one range for all nine PAHs; item with accreditation suspended until 16 October 2026); at 0.09 µg/m³ the component is 0.45 µg/m³, 22.5 % of the NDS. Among the items not suspended, the highest limit is 0.056 µg/m³ (AB 300): 0.28 µg/m³, 14 % of the NDS.

HOW MANY LABORATORIES AND IN WHAT FORM (copy of the accreditation scope database, data up to 17 September 2026, read on 28 September 2026). All records of number 04240 with part 5: 24 entries at 17 laboratories. The form "PN-Z-04240-5:2006" is used by 15 of them; AB 412 writes "PN-Z 04240-5" with a space instead of a hyphen, and AB 1305 — "PN-Z-04008-7:2002 PN-Z-04240-5:2006 punkt 7", two standards in one field, for sampling. The "Laboratories" tab searches for records BEGINNING with "PN-Z-04240-5" and will show 15 laboratories in 22 entries; AB 412 and AB 1305 remain outside it. SUSPENSION: in the current PCA scope of AB 746 (issue 38 of 22 July 2026) the item of this standard — the nine PAHs together with the exposure index — is suspended at the laboratory’s request from 17 April 2026 to 16 October 2026 (footnote "*)" at items set in bold italics; read on 29 September 2026). The numbers above include it.

TECHNIQUE IN THE SCOPES. Liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) is recorded by 12 laboratories (AB 552 with the note UV-VIS), with spectrophotometric detection (HPLC-UV) — by 2 (AB 632, AB 849), with both detectors — by AB 886. The exposure index as the sum of products of the concentrations and carcinogenicity factors of the nine carcinogenic PAHs ("calculated") is recorded under this standard by eight laboratories (AB 418, AB 562, AB 632, AB 719, AB 746, AB 849, AB 886, AB 934); AB 869 gives this name to its whole item; AB 934 cites the standard excluding clauses 1, 5.6, 5.7 and 5.8 and together with its own instruction. AB 886 lists under this standard also naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene — seven PAHs outside the nine compounds of the card. The units of the ranges differ: mass in the sample (µg or mg), concentration in mg/m³ or in µg/m³.

WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard — PKN supplies it for a fee (9 pages). We do not give the air volume and flow rate, the amount of resin, the extraction and chromatographic conditions, the detection wavelengths, the formula or the precision; nor do we know what the clauses excluded by AB 934 and clause 7 cited by AB 1305 contain.

Method principle

According to the card: PAHs from workplace air are collected on a glass-fibre filter and on Amberlite XAD-2 resin, extracted with acetonitrile, and each of the nine compounds is determined separately by HPLC with spectrophotometric or spectrofluorimetric detection. The lowest determinable concentrations according to the card range from 0.0625 µg/m³ (anthracene) to 0.5 µg/m³ (dibenzo(a,h)anthracene). Exposure assessment: the sum of products of the concentrations of the nine PAHs and their carcinogenicity factors compared with the NDS of 2 µg/m³; benzo(a)pyrene separately against 2 µg/m³. We DO NOT GIVE the sampling and chromatographic parameters — we did not have the text of the standard.

Applications

• Assessment of PAH exposure at workplaces — index as the sum of products of the concentrations of nine PAHs and their carcinogenicity factors against NDS 0.002 mg/m³ (Journal of Laws 2026, item 447, item 569 of the list)
• Benzo(a)pyrene separately — NDS 0.002 mg/m³ (item 43)
• Samples taken simultaneously on a glass-fibre filter and on Amberlite XAD-2 resin — two media according to the card

Key parameters

Standard

Standard number

PN-Z-04240-5:2006 (wersja polska)

Title (PL)

Ochrona czystości powietrza — Badania zawartości wielopierścieniowych węglowodorów aromatycznych — Część 5: Oznaczanie antracenu, benzo/a/antracenu, chryzenu, benzo/b/fluorantenu, benzo/k/fluorantenu, benzo/a/pirenu, dibenzo/ah/antracenu, benzo/ghi/perylenu i indeno/123 cd/pirenu na stanowiskach pracy metodą wysokosprawnej chromatografii cieczowej

Title (EN)

Air purity protection — Tests for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon content — Part 5: Determination of anthracene, benzo(a)anthracene, chrysene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, dibenzo(ah)anthracene, benzo(ghi)perylene and indeno(123cd)pyrene at workplaces by high performance liquid chromatography

Step-by-step procedure

1. Status of the document and calculation of limits

   PKN card: standard current (state of the card on 28 September 2026). Before measuring, multiply the laboratory's quantification limits by the carcinogenicity factors — at the card's limits dibenzo(a,h)anthracene alone gives 2.5 µg/m³, more than the NDS.

2. Sampling

   Air is passed through a glass-fibre filter and Amberlite XAD-2 resin. Volume and flow rate NOT GIVEN.

3. Extraction

   PAHs are extracted from the filter and resin with acetonitrile.

4. Determination

   Each of the nine PAHs is determined by HPLC with spectrophotometric or fluorimetric detection. Conditions NOT GIVEN.

5. Index and assessment

   The concentration of each PAH is multiplied by its carcinogenicity factor from the NDS list, the products are summed and compared with 2 µg/m³; benzo(a)pyrene is also assessed separately. In the report state how components below the quantification limit were counted.

Required equipment and apparatus

Reagents, media and consumables

Health and safety (OHS)

• PAH standards — including benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene — are carcinogenic substances; they are handled as carcinogens, according to the safety data sheets
• Acetonitrile is flammable and toxic — extraction is carried out in a fume cupboard
• TECHNICAL NOTE: the quantification limits on the card do not allow compliance with the PAH NDS to be demonstrated if dibenzo(a,h)anthracene is below the limit and the value of the limit enters the sum

Frequently asked questions