🌿 Total and respirable dust by the filter-gravimetric method — the withdrawn sheets PN-Z-04030-05 and -06
In short
A pair of sheets of the PN-Z-04030 series to which older accreditation scopes and procedures refer: sheet 05 for total dust, sheet 06 for respirable dust. The test is performed according to PN-Z-04030-05:1991, PN-Z-04030-06:1991; WHAT THE "LABORATORIES" TAB SHOWS AT THIS ENTRY (read 23 September 2026): the field by which the entry searches for laboratories used to read "PN-Z-04030-05 / PN-Z-04030-06" — TWO standards in one field, without the year and with a hyphen instead of a dot — and the tab showed ZERO. The scopes write these sheets as "PN-91/Z-04030.05" and "…06", so the key is now "PN-91/Z-04030": 2 entries at 1 laboratory. NOTE: the wider key "PN-Z-04030" would give 350 entries at 63 laboratories, but that is SHEET 7 of this series — a different method; showing them at this entry would be worse than an empty tab. The procedure comprises 5 steps; it is used for: Recognising references to "PN-91/Z-04030" met with in older accreditation scopes and procedures, Distinguishing whether a report concerns total dust (sheet 05) or respirable dust (sheet 06), Reviewing a laboratory's documentation for references to withdrawn documents.
At a glance
- Standard: PN-Z-04030-05:1991, PN-Z-04030-06:1991
- Category: Environment
- Procedure steps: 5
- WHAT THE "LABORATORIES" TAB SHOWS AT THIS ENTRY (read 23 September 2026): the field by which the entry searches for laboratories used to read "PN-Z-04030-05 / PN-Z-04030-06" — TWO standards in one field, without the year and with a hyphen instead of a dot — and the tab showed ZERO. The scopes write these sheets as "PN-91/Z-04030.05" and "…06", so the key is now "PN-91/Z-04030": 2 entries at 1 laboratory. NOTE: the wider key "PN-Z-04030" would give 350 entries at 63 laboratories, but that is SHEET 7 of this series — a different method; showing them at this entry would be worse than an empty tab
- Presence in accreditation scopes (own measurement, repeated 23 September 2026): CORRECTION OF OUR OWN FIGURE: this entry used to say "SHEETS 05 AND 06: ZERO entries", and that was UNTRUE, the result of too narrow a search pattern. These sheets ARE present in the scopes — 2 entries at laboratory AB 1086 — but written in the OLD scheme with a dot: "PN-91/Z-04030.05" and "PN-91/Z-04030.06". The pattern looked for the new scheme ("PN-Z-04030-05") and therefore found nothing; in the new scheme there is indeed zero. The key of this entry ("PN-91/Z-04030") matches both records, so the laboratories tab shows 2 entries at 1 laboratory and is NOT empty. SHEET 7 — a different method, measurement of dust in waste gases, not at workplaces, with a separate entry in this database — has three different figures depending on the question: 345 entries at 63 laboratories by the BEGINNING of the record (this is how the tab searches), 355 at the same 63 by ALL forms of the core number, with 15 different forms of writing the series. The main form "PN-Z-04030-7:1994" occurs 334 times; the rest are an arrow from the table layout (7), the form "-07" (5), "PN-Z 04030-7" without a hyphen (2), numbers of in-house procedures of laboratories appended after the designation, and one record "PN-04030-7:1994" with the Z element omitted
- Sheet 05: TOTAL dust; limit of determination 0.5 mg in 1 m³ of air — a figure DEPENDENT ON THE VOLUME OF AIR SAMPLED, which the card does not give
Overview
WHY THIS ENTRY COVERS TWO DOCUMENTS AT ONCE. In accreditation scopes and in older procedures one meets a reference in the form "PN-91/Z-04030" — without a sheet number. Yet the series has sheets with different subjects, and two of them are directly close in theme: sheet 05 concerns TOTAL dust, sheet 06 RESPIRABLE dust. These are two different quantities, with different limit values and different equipment. A reference without the sheet therefore does not say what was measured — and it is precisely this pair that is the commonest source of ambiguity.
THE SCOPES OF BOTH SHEETS FROM THE PKN CATALOGUE CARDS, IN FULL. Sheet 05: "The method consists in the gravimetric determination of the mass of dust collected on a filter from a defined volume of air. The way of measuring with stationary and personal dust samplers is given. The limit of determination of the method is 0.5 mg in 1 cubic metre of air". Sheet 06: "The method consists in the gravimetric determination of the mass of dust collected on a filter from a defined volume of air. The respirable fraction of the dust is obtained by applying a pre-selector when taking the sample. The way of measuring with stationary and personal dust samplers is given. The limit of determination of the method is 0.3 mg in 1 cubic metre of air".
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SHEETS COMES DOWN TO ONE SENTENCE. Both descriptions are almost identical; they differ by the sentence about the PRE-SELECTOR in sheet 06 and by the limit of determination: 0.5 mg/m³ against 0.3 mg/m³. It is the pre-selector that decides whether total dust or the respirable fraction is measured — the rest of the procedure is the same. This is a practical confirmation of what PN-EN 481 describes (a separate entry in this knowledge base): a fraction is not a threshold but the result of the action of a separator.
BOTH SHEETS ARE WITHDRAWN — AND THAT IS THE MAIN REASON FOR THIS ENTRY. The cards of both, retrieved on 16 September 2026, carry the heading "Withdrawn" and the "Date of withdrawal" row: 30-05-2014, consistent with each other. Neither card contains a "Superseded by" field, so the catalogue itself names no successor. OUR KNOWLEDGE BASE, HOWEVER, DOES: the entries on gravimetric methods of determining dust state that PN-Z-04507:2022-05 superseded sheet 05, and PN-Z-04508:2022-05 sheet 06. Both of those standards have entries of their own in this knowledge base and it is they that describe the current practice. A laboratory whose documentation cites the Z-04030 series is citing a document that has not been in force for over a decade and should move to PN-Z-04507 or PN-Z-04508 — depending on which fraction it determines.
NOT ONLY THE STANDARD HAS CHANGED, BUT ALSO THE NAME OF THE QUANTITY MEASURED — AND THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR THE READER OF AN OLDER REPORT. The card of sheet 05 speaks of determining "total dust at workplaces by the filtration-gravimetric method", while the card of PN-Z-04507:2022-05 speaks of determining "the inhalable fraction of aerosol at workplaces by the gravimetric method" (titles from the PKN catalogue cards, read on 22.09.2026). TOTAL dust and the INHALABLE fraction are not two names for the same thing: the inhalable fraction is a quantity defined by the convention of PN-EN 481 (that standard has a separate entry in this knowledge base), i.e. by a curve specifying what share of particles of a given diameter enters the respiratory tract; total dust is simply everything that has remained on the filter. For sheet 06 the change of name is smaller — "respirable dust" against "respirable fraction of aerosol" — but whether both names denote the same separation curve WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED: sheet 06 dates from 1991, so it is older than PN-EN 481 (issued in 1998 as the adoption of EN 481:1993) and could not refer to it. WHETHER RESULTS ACCORDING TO SHEET 05 AND ACCORDING TO PN-Z-04507 ARE COMPARABLE — WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED: we had the texts neither of the old sheets nor of the new standards. We know only that the name of the quantity is different, and that is enough not to carry over a result from before 2014 as a result for the "inhalable fraction".
WHY, DESPITE THE WITHDRAWAL, THE ENTRY IS NEEDED. References to this series still occur in accreditation scopes and in older test procedures, and anyone reading such a report must know three things: that the document is withdrawn, that the number without a sheet is ambiguous, and how the two sheets differ. The current practice is described by the entries on PN-Z-04507:2022-05 (inhalable fraction) and PN-Z-04508:2022-05 (respirable fraction), present in this knowledge base.
WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We do not have the texts of the sheets — PKN supplies them for a fee (2 pages each, KT 159 — the PKN technical committee for Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment). Apart from the limit of determination, which the cards themselves give, WE GIVE NEITHER the sampling conditions, NOR the requirements for filters, NOR the sampling time, NOR the way of calculating the result.
Method principle
The filter-gravimetric method consists in drawing a defined volume of air through a filter and weighing the mass of dust retained; the concentration is calculated as the quotient of mass and volume. Whether total dust or the respirable fraction is measured is decided by the presence of a pre-selector before the filter — and that is the only difference between the two sheets of this series. The measurement is carried out with stationary or personal dust samplers.
Applications
- Recognising references to "PN-91/Z-04030" met with in older accreditation scopes and procedures
- Distinguishing whether a report concerns total dust (sheet 05) or respirable dust (sheet 06)
- Reviewing a laboratory's documentation for references to withdrawn documents
- Historical context for the current gravimetric methods of determining dust
Key parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| WHAT THE "LABORATORIES" TAB SHOWS AT THIS ENTRY (read 23 September 2026) | the field by which the entry searches for laboratories used to read "PN-Z-04030-05 / PN-Z-04030-06" — TWO standards in one field, without the year and with a hyphen instead of a dot — and the tab showed ZERO. The scopes write these sheets as "PN-91/Z-04030.05" and "…06", so the key is now "PN-91/Z-04030": 2 entries at 1 laboratory. NOTE: the wider key "PN-Z-04030" would give 350 entries at 63 laboratories, but that is SHEET 7 of this series — a different method; showing them at this entry would be worse than an empty tab |
| Presence in accreditation scopes (own measurement, repeated 23 September 2026) | CORRECTION OF OUR OWN FIGURE: this entry used to say "SHEETS 05 AND 06: ZERO entries", and that was UNTRUE, the result of too narrow a search pattern. These sheets ARE present in the scopes — 2 entries at laboratory AB 1086 — but written in the OLD scheme with a dot: "PN-91/Z-04030.05" and "PN-91/Z-04030.06". The pattern looked for the new scheme ("PN-Z-04030-05") and therefore found nothing; in the new scheme there is indeed zero. The key of this entry ("PN-91/Z-04030") matches both records, so the laboratories tab shows 2 entries at 1 laboratory and is NOT empty. SHEET 7 — a different method, measurement of dust in waste gases, not at workplaces, with a separate entry in this database — has three different figures depending on the question: 345 entries at 63 laboratories by the BEGINNING of the record (this is how the tab searches), 355 at the same 63 by ALL forms of the core number, with 15 different forms of writing the series. The main form "PN-Z-04030-7:1994" occurs 334 times; the rest are an arrow from the table layout (7), the form "-07" (5), "PN-Z 04030-7" without a hyphen (2), numbers of in-house procedures of laboratories appended after the designation, and one record "PN-04030-7:1994" with the Z element omitted |
| Sheet 05 | TOTAL dust; limit of determination 0.5 mg in 1 m³ of air — a figure DEPENDENT ON THE VOLUME OF AIR SAMPLED, which the card does not give |
| Sheet 06 | RESPIRABLE dust; the fraction is obtained by applying a PRE-SELECTOR; limit of determination 0.3 mg in 1 m³ — a figure DEPENDENT ON THE VOLUME OF AIR SAMPLED, which the card does not give |
| The only difference in procedure | A pre-selector before the filter — the rest of the description of both sheets is almost identical |
| WHAT THE LIMIT OF DETERMINATION DOES NOT CARRY — important when comparing laboratories | the limit in mg/m³ is the QUOTIENT of the determinable mass on the filter and the VOLUME of air drawn through it. The same figure at a different sample volume means something else, and the catalogue cards DO NOT give the volume, nor do we know it. Two laboratories may therefore enter an identical limit of determination in their accreditation scopes while sampling different volumes of air — comparing the figures alone, without volume and sampling time, settles nothing |
| THE SECOND PART IT DOES NOT CARRY EITHER — against which limit value | in workplace measurements the limit of determination settles nothing until it is related to the LIMIT VALUE of the particular dust. Those values are set by the regulation on maximum admissible concentrations, separately for each substance and separately for the inhalable and the respirable fraction, and they differ by orders of magnitude. A method with a limit of determination of 0.5 mg/m³ is fit for assessing exposure to one dust and unfit for another — WE DO NOT QUOTE THE VALUES, because they have to be taken from the current table of the regulation for a named substance |
| STATUS OF BOTH SHEETS | WITHDRAWN 30-05-2014 — the heading "Withdrawn" and the "Date of withdrawal" row are consistent on both cards (checked 16 September 2026) |
| What now plays the role of both sheets — and what changed with it | sheet 05 → PN-Z-04507:2022-05 (determination of the INHALABLE aerosol fraction), sheet 06 → PN-Z-04508:2022-05 (determination of the RESPIRABLE aerosol fraction). The succession is FUNCTIONAL: none of the four PKN cards has a field on supersession. For sheet 05 the NAME OF THE MEASURED QUANTITY changed — total dust versus the inhalable fraction under the convention of PN-EN 481; whether the results are comparable WE HAVE NOT ESTABLISHED |
| Successors | The PKN cards have no "Superseded by" field, but the entries of this knowledge base state: sheet 05 was superseded by PN-Z-04507:2022-05, sheet 06 by PN-Z-04508:2022-05. Both have entries of their own |
| Ambiguity of the reference | "PN-91/Z-04030" without a sheet number does not settle whether total or respirable dust was measured — and these are different quantities with different limit values |
| Ways of measuring | Stationary and personal dust samplers — both provided for in both sheets |
Standard
- Standard number
- PN-Z-04030-05:1991, PN-Z-04030-06:1991
- Title (PL)
- Ochrona czystości powietrza -- Badania zawartości pyłu -- Oznaczanie pyłu całkowitego (arkusz 05) i pyłu respirabilnego (arkusz 06) na stanowiskach pracy metodą filtracyjno-wagową [tytuł zestawiony redakcyjnie z dwóch arkuszy — nie jest to tytuł z żadnej pojedynczej karty]
- Title (EN)
- Air purity protection — Dust content tests — Determination of total dust (sheet 05) and respirable dust (sheet 06) at workplaces by the filter-gravimetric method
Step-by-step procedure
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Check whether the document is still in force
BOTH SHEETS HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN since 30-05-2014. If a laboratory procedure invokes them, it requires updating: sheet 05 was superseded by PN-Z-04507:2022-05, sheet 06 by PN-Z-04508:2022-05.
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Establish which sheet the reference concerns
Sheet 05 — total dust; sheet 06 — respirable. A reference without a sheet number does not settle it.
-
Choose the way of measuring
Personal or stationary sampler; the results are not interchangeable.
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Apply the pre-selector (sheet 06 only)
The pre-selector separates out the respirable fraction. Without it, total dust is measured, whatever the report declares.
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Weighing and calculation
The mass of dust on the filter divided by the volume of air drawn through. WE DO NOT GIVE THE DETAILS — they are in the text of the sheets.
Required equipment and apparatus
| Equipment | Example | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Personal dust sampler | Worn by the worker; it measures the exposure of the person | — |
| Stationary dust sampler | It measures the concentration at a point — the result is not interchangeable with a personal measurement | — |
| Pre-selector | ONLY with sheet 06 — it is what separates out the respirable fraction; its characteristic is described by PN-EN 481 | — |
| Analytical balance | For weighing the filters before and after sampling | — |
Reagents, media and consumables
| Reagent | CAS | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Filters | — | The medium on which the dust is retained; we do not give the requirements for filters — they are in the text of the sheets |
Health and safety (OHS)
- Industrial dusts are sometimes carcinogenic (crystalline silica, hardwood dust) — proceed according to the material safety data sheet
- Measurements are carried out in conditions of real dustiness — the person taking them is subject to the same protective measures as the workers
- TECHNICAL NOTE: both sheets have been withdrawn since 30-05-2014; this entry describes them so that older references can be recognised and judged, not as a procedure to be applied
Frequently asked questions
Which standard describes this test?
The test is performed according to PN-Z-04030-05:1991, PN-Z-04030-06:1991 — “Air purity protection — Dust content tests — Determination of total dust (sheet 05) and respirable dust (sheet 06) at workplaces by the filter-gravimetric method”.
How does this method work?
The filter-gravimetric method consists in drawing a defined volume of air through a filter and weighing the mass of dust retained; the concentration is calculated as the quotient of mass and volume. Whether total dust or the respirable fraction is measured is decided by the presence of a pre-selector before the filter — and that is the only difference between the two sheets of this series.
What is the measuring range and accuracy?
WHAT THE "LABORATORIES" TAB SHOWS AT THIS ENTRY (read 23 September 2026): the field by which the entry searches for laboratories used to read "PN-Z-04030-05 / PN-Z-04030-06" — TWO standards in one field, without the year and with a hyphen instead of a dot — and the tab showed ZERO. The scopes write these sheets as "PN-91/Z-04030.05" and "…06", so the key is now "PN-91/Z-04030": 2 entries at 1 laboratory. NOTE: the wider key "PN-Z-04030" would give 350 entries at 63 laboratories, but that is SHEET 7 of this series — a different method; showing them at this entry would be worse than an empty tab; Presence in accreditation scopes (own measurement, repeated 23 September 2026): CORRECTION OF OUR OWN FIGURE: this entry used to say "SHEETS 05 AND 06: ZERO entries", and that was UNTRUE, the result of too narrow a search pattern. These sheets ARE present in the scopes — 2 entries at laboratory AB 1086 — but written in the OLD scheme with a dot: "PN-91/Z-04030.05" and "PN-91/Z-04030.06". The pattern looked for the new scheme ("PN-Z-04030-05") and therefore found nothing; in the new scheme there is indeed zero. The key of this entry ("PN-91/Z-04030") matches both records, so the laboratories tab shows 2 entries at 1 laboratory and is NOT empty. SHEET 7 — a different method, measurement of dust in waste gases, not at workplaces, with a separate entry in this database — has three different figures depending on the question: 345 entries at 63 laboratories by the BEGINNING of the record (this is how the tab searches), 355 at the same 63 by ALL forms of the core number, with 15 different forms of writing the series. The main form "PN-Z-04030-7:1994" occurs 334 times; the rest are an arrow from the table layout (7), the form "-07" (5), "PN-Z 04030-7" without a hyphen (2), numbers of in-house procedures of laboratories appended after the designation, and one record "PN-04030-7:1994" with the Z element omitted; Sheet 05: TOTAL dust; limit of determination 0.5 mg in 1 m³ of air — a figure DEPENDENT ON THE VOLUME OF AIR SAMPLED, which the card does not give; Sheet 06: RESPIRABLE dust; the fraction is obtained by applying a PRE-SELECTOR; limit of determination 0.3 mg in 1 m³ — a figure DEPENDENT ON THE VOLUME OF AIR SAMPLED, which the card does not give.
How long does the test take?
The procedure comprises 5 steps. The standard does not give a duration for every stage — the laboratory's own procedure decides.
What equipment is required?
Personal dust sampler, Stationary dust sampler, Pre-selector, Analytical balance.
Where is this test used?
Recognising references to "PN-91/Z-04030" met with in older accreditation scopes and procedures; Distinguishing whether a report concerns total dust (sheet 05) or respirable dust (sheet 06); Reviewing a laboratory's documentation for references to withdrawn documents; Historical context for the current gravimetric methods of determining dust.
What safety precautions apply?
Industrial dusts are sometimes carcinogenic (crystalline silica, hardwood dust) — proceed according to the material safety data sheet; Measurements are carried out in conditions of real dustiness — the person taking them is subject to the same protective measures as the workers; TECHNICAL NOTE: both sheets have been withdrawn since 30-05-2014; this entry describes them so that older references can be recognised and judged, not as a procedure to be applied.
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-91/Z-04030.