ISO 16107:2007

Overview

ISO 16107:2007 - "Workplace atmospheres - Protocol for evaluating the performance of diffusive samplers" defines a concise, cost‑effective test protocol to assess how diffusive (passive) samplers perform under typical indoor workplace conditions. The standard focuses on sampler performance in relation to environmental variables (wind speed, humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure) and analyte variation, and provides procedures to quantify accuracy, bias, precision and measurement uncertainty for sampling periods typically from 2 h to 8 h.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and limits
  • Designed for personal sampling in indoor workplaces (wind speeds up to 0.5 m/s).
  • Not applicable to static samplers at wind speeds below 0.1 m/s (stagnation effects).
  • Sampling periods typically 2–8 hours; protocol may be extended using a suitable exposure chamber.
• Performance factors
  • Evaluation of sampling-rate accuracy, inter‑sampler variability, and response to changing analyte concentrations.
  • Tests for capacity (including presence of interfering compounds) and overload detection.
  • Consideration of reverse diffusion, desorption efficiency, wind direction and atmospheric pressure effects.
• Statistical and uncertainty treatment
  • Defines a symmetric accuracy range (95% confidence) linking bias and overall relative standard deviation to a single performance metric.
  • Incorporates guidance from ISO Guide 98 (expression of uncertainty) to report expanded uncertainty and confidence limits.
• Test apparatus and reporting
  • Requires controlled exposure chamber specifications and inter‑run variability assessment.
  • Specifies required test report elements and worked calculation examples (annexes).

Practical applications

• Validate and certify diffusive samplers for workplace air monitoring programs.
• Support occupational hygiene measurements and compliance checks where passive sampling is preferred for convenience and cost reduction.
• Provide laboratories and manufacturers with a standardized method to compare sampler designs and to quantify measurement uncertainty for regulatory or research use.
• Enable selection of appropriate samplers for specific workplace environments (temperature/humidity/wind conditions) and for planning corrective bias adjustments.

Who should use this standard

• Occupational hygienists and industrial safety professionals
• Analytical and testing laboratories performing sampler validation
• Diffusive sampler manufacturers and product developers
• Regulators and health & safety managers specifying monitoring protocols

Related standards

• EN 838 (Diffusive samplers - requirements and test methods)
• ISO Guide 98 (Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement)

Keywords: ISO 16107:2007, diffusive samplers, workplace atmospheres, sampler performance, sampling rate, measurement uncertainty, passive air sampling, occupational hygiene.