⚗️ Zinc oxide in workplace air according to PN-Z-04100-03 — standard withdrawn in 2014, in the scopes of 30 laboratories
In short
A two-page standard from 1987, withdrawn on 30 May 2014 without a successor indicated on the card — and still standing in the scopes of 30 laboratories. The test is performed according to PN-Z-04100-03:1987 (wersja polska); MEASURING RANGES — a spread of almost three hundred times: lower limits from 0.0017 to 0.5 mg/m³: (0.0017 – 25.0), (0.0035 – 20), (0.014 – 10.0), (0.035 – 20.0) and (0.5 – 15.0) mg/m³; as mass in the sample from (0.00010 – 10.0) mg to (0.025 – 5) mg. The procedure comprises 7 steps; it is used for: Measurement of the concentration of zinc oxide in workplace air, expressed as zinc, Assessment of occupational exposure in welding, galvanising and processing of zinc alloys, Reading an accreditation scope in which a standard withdrawn in 2014 stands next to zinc oxide.
At a glance
- Standard: PN-Z-04100-03:1987 (wersja polska)
- Category: Environment
- Procedure steps: 7
- STATUS (state of the PKN card on 23.09.2026): WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 30-05-2014; publication 28-12-1987; 2 pages; KT 159; ICS 13.040.30
- THE CARD DOES NOT INDICATE A SUCCESSOR: no "Replaced by" row; we do not indicate a successor either
- Scale of citations — TWO numbers for two sets: 33 entries / 30 laboratories across all forms of notation; 26 entries / 24 laboratories by the beginning of the notation in the old scheme — the "Laboratories" tab shows the latter (reading of 23.09.2026)
Overview
STATUS (state of the PKN card on 23.09.2026). PN-Z-04100-03:1987 — Polish version — is WITHDRAWN. Publication date 28-12-1987, WITHDRAWAL DATE 30-05-2014, number of pages 2, technical body KT 159 (Chemical and Dust Hazards in the Working Environment), ICS 13.040.30. The card DOES NOT CONTAIN a "Replaced by" row — the standard was withdrawn without a successor being indicated, and we do not indicate a successor either.
WHAT LABORATORIES CITE (measurement on the database of scopes, reading of 23.09.2026, across all forms of notation): 33 entries at 30 laboratories. When matching by the BEGINNING of the notation in the old scheme ("PN-87/Z-04100") — 26 entries at 24 laboratories; this is the number the "Laboratories" tab shows for this entry. The new scheme alone ("PN-Z-04100-03:1987") is only 4 entries at 3 laboratories — so a search by it misses nine tenths of the citations.
THE RESULT IS GIVEN AS ZINC — AND THIS IS NOT AN EDITORIAL DETAIL. The methodologies in the scopes read "Stężenie/zawartość tlenku cynku — w przeliczeniu na Zn" [concentration/content of zinc oxide — expressed as Zn], and in 12 entries the INHALABLE FRACTION is added. The limit value is written in the same way: item 525 of Annex No. 1 to the regulation on maximum admissible concentrations reads "Tlenek cynku [1314-13-2] – w przeliczeniu na Zn" [zinc oxide [1314-13-2] – expressed as Zn], with the addition "– frakcja wdychalna" [– inhalable fraction], NDS 5 mg/m³ and NDSCh 10 mg/m³ (wording of Journal of Laws 2026 item 447, in force since 2 April 2026). A result given as the mass of zinc oxide, and not expressed as zinc, cannot be compared with this value without conversion — and the conversion factor results from the ratio of the molar masses, not from the measurement.
TECHNIQUE: 24 entries declare flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) — in line with the title of the standard, which speaks of atomic absorption spectrometry. One entry declares inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry, i.e. a technique outside the title of the standard; two more write FAAS with spelling errors ("spektometrii", "atomowej spektrometrii absorpcyjnej").
THE MEASURING RANGES DIFFER EXTREMELY. Declared in the scopes: (0.0017 – 25.0) mg/m³, (0.0035 – 20) mg/m³, (0.014 – 10.0) mg/m³, (0.035 – 20.0) mg/m³, (0.5 – 15.0) mg/m³, and as mass in the sample: (0.00010 – 10.0) mg, (0.0025 – 14.4) mg, (0.01 – 7.5) mg, (0.025 – 5) mg. The lower concentration limits differ almost three-hundredfold — from 0.0017 to 0.5 mg/m³. Against the NDS of 5 mg/m³ this means that one laboratory measures thousandths of the limit value, and another only a tenth of it. THE DIFFERENCE COMES FROM THE VOLUME OF AIR SAMPLED AND FROM THE INSTRUMENT, not from the standard: the mass of zinc in the sample divided by the volume of air gives the concentration.
WHY A WITHDRAWN STANDARD STILL STANDS IN THE SCOPES — JUST AS WITH CHLORINE. § 16 of the regulation of the Minister of Health on tests and measurements of harmful agents (consolidated text Journal of Laws 2025 item 949): "Badania i pomiary wykonuje się zgodnie z metodami określonymi w Polskich Normach, a w przypadku braku takich norm, metodami rekomendowanymi i zwalidowanymi przez laboratoria, o których mowa w § 15 ust. 1 i ust. 2 pkt 1" [Tests and measurements are carried out in accordance with the methods specified in Polish Standards, and in the absence of such standards, with methods recommended and validated by the laboratories referred to in § 15(1) and (2)(1)]. Whether the withdrawal of a standard by PKN is an "absence of a Polish Standard" within the meaning of this provision — WE DO NOT SETTLE.
ONE ENTRY CITES A SINGLE CLAUSE OF THE STANDARD: "PN-87/Z-04100/03 pkt 7" [clause 7], and another — "PN-Z-04100-03:1987 pkt.7 i pkt.10" [clauses 7 and 10]. In a two-page document this means citing individual fragments. We do not know the content of these clauses: we did not have the text of the standard.
WHAT WE DO NOT GIVE. We did not have the text of the standard. We DO NOT GIVE the way of sampling (type of filter, volume of air), the digestion of the sample before measurement, the wavelength of the analytical line of zinc or the way of calculating the result. What we know about the technique comes from the title of the standard and from the technique column in the accreditation scopes.
Method principle
Air is drawn through a filter that retains the inhalable fraction of the dust, the collected material is brought into solution, and the zinc content is determined by atomic absorption spectrometry — this is what the title of the standard says, and this is the technique declared by 24 of the 33 entries in the scopes. The result is given as zinc, because the limit value for zinc oxide is written in this form. The concentration in air is obtained by dividing the mass of zinc in the sample by the volume of air sampled. WE DO NOT DESCRIBE THE DETAILS OF EXECUTION: we did not have the text of the standard.
Applications
- Measurement of the concentration of zinc oxide in workplace air, expressed as zinc
- Assessment of occupational exposure in welding, galvanising and processing of zinc alloys
- Reading an accreditation scope in which a standard withdrawn in 2014 stands next to zinc oxide
- Checking whether the declared measuring range makes it possible to measure the fraction of the limit value required in exposure assessment
Key parameters
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| STATUS (state of the PKN card on 23.09.2026) | WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 30-05-2014; publication 28-12-1987; 2 pages; KT 159; ICS 13.040.30 |
| THE CARD DOES NOT INDICATE A SUCCESSOR | no "Replaced by" row; we do not indicate a successor either |
| Scale of citations — TWO numbers for two sets | 33 entries / 30 laboratories across all forms of notation; 26 entries / 24 laboratories by the beginning of the notation in the old scheme — the "Laboratories" tab shows the latter (reading of 23.09.2026) |
| THE NEW NUMBERING SCHEME FINDS ONE TENTH | the notation "PN-Z-04100-03:1987" has 4 entries at 3 laboratories, and the old "PN-87/Z-04100/03" — 18 entries (plus ".03" — 6 and "-03" — 1) |
| FORM OF THE RESULT | expressed as Zn and for the INHALABLE FRACTION — this is how the methodologies in the scopes write it (in 12 entries the fraction is stated explicitly), and this is how the item in the list of limit values reads |
| LIMIT VALUES against which the numbers apply | Zinc oxide [1314-13-2] – expressed as Zn, inhalable fraction: NDS 5 mg/m³, NDSCh 10 mg/m³ — item 525 of Annex No. 1 in the wording of Journal of Laws 2026 item 447 (in force since 2 April 2026) |
| Technique declared in the scopes | FAAS — 24 entries (in line with the title of the standard); one entry declares ICP-OES, i.e. a technique outside the title of the standard |
| MEASURING RANGES — a spread of almost three hundred times | lower limits from 0.0017 to 0.5 mg/m³: (0.0017 – 25.0), (0.0035 – 20), (0.014 – 10.0), (0.035 – 20.0) and (0.5 – 15.0) mg/m³; as mass in the sample from (0.00010 – 10.0) mg to (0.025 – 5) mg |
| What this spread means against the NDS | with an NDS of 5 mg/m³, a laboratory with a lower limit of 0.0017 mg/m³ measures one three-thousandth of the limit value, and a laboratory with a limit of 0.5 mg/m³ — one tenth of it |
| What the lower limit depends on | on the volume of air sampled and on the instrument — the concentration is the mass of zinc in the sample divided by this volume. The range does not result from the standard |
| Citations of a single clause of the standard | "PN-87/Z-04100/03 pkt 7" and "PN-Z-04100-03:1987 pkt.7 i pkt.10" [clause 7; clauses 7 and 10] — in a two-page document. We do not know the content of these clauses |
| Legal basis for carrying out the measurement | § 16 of the regulation of the Minister of Health on tests and measurements of harmful agents (consolidated text Journal of Laws 2025 item 949) — methods from Polish Standards, and in their absence validated methods |
| What we do not give | the type of filter, the volume of air, the way the sample is brought into solution, the analytical line or the calculation of the result — we did not have the text of the standard |
Standard
- Standard number
- PN-Z-04100-03:1987 (wersja polska)
- Title (PL)
- Ochrona czystości powietrza — Badania zawartości cynku i jego związków — Oznaczanie cynku i tlenku cynkowego na stanowiskach pracy metodą absorpcyjnej spektrometrii atomowej
Step-by-step procedure
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Checking which document stands in the scope
The standard PN-Z-04100-03:1987, most often written in the scopes as PN-87/Z-04100/03, has been withdrawn since 30-05-2014, and its card does not indicate a successor.
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Establishing the basis for carrying out the measurement
If the description of the method comes from the laboratory's own procedure, its number and edition should stand in the reference documents next to the standard. § 16 of the regulation on tests and measurements permits validated methods in the absence of a Polish Standard.
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Sampling the inhalable fraction
Collect the inhalable fraction of the dust on a filter, recording the volume of air drawn. The fraction matters: the limit value for zinc oxide refers precisely to the inhalable fraction.
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Bringing the sample into solution
Bring the collected material into solution in the way established in the laboratory's procedure. We do not give the method from the standard — we did not have its text.
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Measurement by atomic absorption spectrometry
Determine the zinc in the solution by FAAS against a calibration curve. The title of the standard indicates atomic absorption spectrometry; the accreditation scopes declare FAAS in 24 entries.
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Converting the result to the concentration in air and to zinc
Divide the mass of zinc in the sample by the volume of air sampled. Give the result EXPRESSED AS Zn — the limit value for zinc oxide is written in this form.
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Relating to the limit values
Compare with the NDS of 5 mg/m³ and the NDSCh of 10 mg/m³ for zinc oxide expressed as Zn, inhalable fraction (item 525 of Annex No. 1, wording of Journal of Laws 2026 item 447). In the report, indicate separately the reference document for the measurement and the act from which the limit value was taken.
Required equipment and apparatus
| Equipment | Example | Indicative price |
|---|---|---|
| Set for sampling the inhalable fraction of dust | sampling head and filter retaining the inhalable fraction; it is this fraction that is indicated with the limit value for zinc oxide. We do not give the requirements of the standard for the set — we did not have the text of the standard | — |
| Aspirator with air volume measurement | the volume of air drawn enters the calculation of the concentration and determines the lower limit of the range; the spread of lower limits between laboratories reaches three hundred times | — |
| Atomic absorption spectrometer with flame atomisation (FAAS) | the technique declared in 24 entries of the scopes and in line with the title of the standard; one laboratory declared ICP-OES instead | — |
| Equipment for bringing the sample into solution | the material collected on the filter must be brought into solution before measurement; we do not give the method, because it would come from the text of the standard, which we did not have | — |
Reagents, media and consumables
| Reagent | CAS | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Zinc standard solutions | — | for preparing the calibration curve in the FAAS technique; we do not give the concentrations or the way of preparation — we did not have the text of the standard |
Health and safety (OHS)
- Zinc oxide fumes cause metal fume fever — the measurement is made with the sources in operation, so the respiratory protection appropriate to the workplace applies
- A result given as the mass of zinc oxide, and not expressed as zinc, is not comparable with the limit value without conversion — and the conversion results from the ratio of the molar masses, not from the measurement
- Omitting the fraction during sampling changes the subject of the measurement: the limit value concerns the inhalable fraction, so sampling total or respirable dust gives a number that cannot be related to the NDS
- The standard has been withdrawn since 30-05-2014 and has no successor on the card — citing it without indicating the laboratory's own procedure does not say where today's description of the method comes from
- Searching for laboratories by the new numbering scheme ("PN-Z-04100-03:1987") misses nine tenths of the citations — one must search by both schemes
- The ICP-OES technique declared in one entry is not the technique from the title of the standard — this need not be an error, but it requires checking on what basis the method was linked to this standard
Frequently asked questions
Which standard describes this test?
The test is performed according to PN-Z-04100-03:1987 (wersja polska) — “Ochrona czystości powietrza — Badania zawartości cynku i jego związków — Oznaczanie cynku i tlenku cynkowego na stanowiskach pracy metodą absorpcyjnej spektrometrii atomowej”.
How does this method work?
Air is drawn through a filter that retains the inhalable fraction of the dust, the collected material is brought into solution, and the zinc content is determined by atomic absorption spectrometry — this is what the title of the standard says, and this is the technique declared by 24 of the 33 entries in the scopes. The result is given as zinc, because the limit value for zinc oxide is written in this form.
What is the measuring range and accuracy?
STATUS (state of the PKN card on 23.09.2026): WITHDRAWN — withdrawal date 30-05-2014; publication 28-12-1987; 2 pages; KT 159; ICS 13.040.30; THE CARD DOES NOT INDICATE A SUCCESSOR: no "Replaced by" row; we do not indicate a successor either; Scale of citations — TWO numbers for two sets: 33 entries / 30 laboratories across all forms of notation; 26 entries / 24 laboratories by the beginning of the notation in the old scheme — the "Laboratories" tab shows the latter (reading of 23.09.2026); THE NEW NUMBERING SCHEME FINDS ONE TENTH: the notation "PN-Z-04100-03:1987" has 4 entries at 3 laboratories, and the old "PN-87/Z-04100/03" — 18 entries (plus ".03" — 6 and "-03" — 1).
How long does the test take?
The procedure comprises 7 steps. The standard does not give a duration for every stage — the laboratory's own procedure decides.
What equipment is required?
Set for sampling the inhalable fraction of dust, Aspirator with air volume measurement, Atomic absorption spectrometer with flame atomisation (FAAS), Equipment for bringing the sample into solution.
Where is this test used?
Measurement of the concentration of zinc oxide in workplace air, expressed as zinc; Assessment of occupational exposure in welding, galvanising and processing of zinc alloys; Reading an accreditation scope in which a standard withdrawn in 2014 stands next to zinc oxide; Checking whether the declared measuring range makes it possible to measure the fraction of the limit value required in exposure assessment.
What safety precautions apply?
Zinc oxide fumes cause metal fume fever — the measurement is made with the sources in operation, so the respiratory protection appropriate to the workplace applies; A result given as the mass of zinc oxide, and not expressed as zinc, is not comparable with the limit value without conversion — and the conversion results from the ratio of the molar masses, not from the measurement; Omitting the fraction during sampling changes the subject of the measurement: the limit value concerns the inhalable fraction, so sampling total or respirable dust gives a number that cannot be related to the NDS; The standard has been withdrawn since 30-05-2014 and has no successor on the card — citing it without indicating the laboratory's own procedure does not say where today's description of the method comes from; Searching for laboratories by the new numbering scheme ("PN-Z-04100-03:1987") misses nine tenths of the citations — one must search by both schemes; The ICP-OES technique declared in one entry is not the technique from the title of the standard — this need not be an error, but it requires checking on what basis the method was linked to this standard.
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-87/Z-04100.