Overview - ISO 24211:2022 (Vapour products, carbonyls)
ISO 24211:2022 specifies a laboratory method for determining selected carbonyl compounds - formaldehyde and acetaldehyde - in vapour product emissions. The method measures these carbonyls as their 2,4‑dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPH) derivatives using reversed‑phase liquid chromatography with ultraviolet or diode array detection (LC‑UV or LC‑DAD). The standard is intended to provide reliable, comparable data for regulatory reporting, product assessment and research into vapour product emissions. It explicitly excludes other carbonyls (e.g., acrolein, crotonaldehyde) because of stability issues observed during method evaluation.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Analytes covered: Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde only (as DNPH hydrazones).
- Sampling principle: Aerosol generation on a routine analytical vaping machine (per ISO 20768) with aerosol trapping using a glass fibre filter pad in series with an impinger containing acidified DNPH solution.
- Derivatization and extraction: Collected aerosol filter + impinger solution are combined, shaken, neutralized (pyridine), and prepared for HPLC analysis.
- Chromatography: Reversed‑phase LC with RP‑C18 columns and UV or DAD detection; external calibration using prederivatized DNPH standards.
- Quantitation units: Results reported per puff, per aerosol collected mass (ACM) or per puff block as applicable.
- Reagents and apparatus: HPLC‑grade solvents, DNPH (or DNPH‑HCl), pyridine, RP‑C18 analytical column, routine analytical vaping machine and standardized trapping hardware.
- Quality considerations: Calibration curve linearity, limit of quantitation (S/N ≥ 10 for low standard), reagent/aerosol blanks, interlaboratory reproducibility data (method based on CORESTA CRM 96 and interlaboratory study).
- Safety note: Method involves hazardous reagents and operations; laboratories must follow appropriate safety practices.
Applications and users
- Regulatory laboratories performing mandated carbonyl reporting for vapour products.
- Product manufacturers and R&D teams conducting emissions profiling, formulation optimization, and comparative studies.
- Independent testing and quality control labs validating product emissions, batch testing, and compliance checks.
- Academic and toxicology researchers studying carbonyl formation from thermal degradation of e‑liquid ingredients.
Practical uses include regulatory compliance testing, product benchmarking, formulation development to reduce carbonyl formation, and generation of comparable data across laboratories.
Related standards
- ISO 20768 - Routine analytical vaping machine (defines puff regimes and machine requirements).
- ISO 24197 - Determination of e‑liquid vaporised mass and aerosol collected mass (ACM/EVM).
- ISO 3696 - Water for analytical laboratory use (reagent quality).
- Method development also references CORESTA CRM 96 as the basis for the approach and interlaboratory validation.
Keywords: ISO 24211, vapour products, carbonyls, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, DNPH, LC‑UV, LC‑DAD, vaping machine, aerosol collected mass, e‑liquid vaporised mass.