EN ISO 18218-1:2023 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 18218-1:2023 - Leather - Determination of ethoxylated alkylphenols (APEO) - Part 1: Direct method (ISO 18218-1:2023) is a standardized laboratory method for detecting and quantifying ethoxylated alkylphenols in leather. The method targets nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOn) and octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEOn) where 2 ≤ n ≤ 16, using a direct extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS) for identification and quantification. This edition (2023) supersedes the 2015 version.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope: Direct analysis of APEOs in leather; particularly suitable when screening a large number of samples.
• Analytes: NPEOn and OPEOn homologues (n = 2–16). Note: NPEO commonly used in leather has an average of 9 ethylene oxide (EO) units and a cloud point suitable for 40–55 °C processing.
• Extraction principle: Leather is extracted with methanol in an ultrasonic bath (capable of maintaining (60 ± 5) °C). After filtration, an aliquot can be analysed directly.
• Instrumentation: LC with triple quadrupole MS/MS required for selective identification and quantification of APEO congeners.
• Calibration & calculation: The standard includes procedures for calibration, calculation of congener ratios and concentration, and reporting requirements. Annex A provides an example LC-MS/MS chromatographic method; Annex B lists characteristic masses for quantification.
• Comparability note: ISO 18218-1 and ISO 18218-2 use different extraction solvents; they are expected to show similar trends but not necessarily identical absolute results.

Applications and users

This standard is relevant for:

• Leather manufacturers and tanneries performing quality control to monitor residual surfactants.
• Analytical and testing laboratories offering regulatory and environmental compliance testing for APEOs in leather.
• Regulatory bodies and compliance officers enforcing restrictions on nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) under chemical regulations (e.g., REACH-related measures).
• Environmental and product safety specialists assessing potential release of hormone-active degradation products (e.g., nonylphenol).

Practical benefits include a high-throughput, direct screening workflow for large sample sets and robust selectivity from LC-MS/MS detection.

Related standards and references

• ISO 18218-2 - Indirect method (alkylphenol determination after cleavage)
• ISO 2418 - Specimen preparation for leather testing
• ISO 3696 - Water for analytical laboratory use
• ISO 4044 - Preparation of chemical test samples

Keywords: EN ISO 18218-1:2023, leather APEO testing, nonylphenol ethoxylate, NPEO, OPEO, LC-MS/MS, leather industry compliance, ethoxylated alkylphenols.