EN ISO 19918:2017 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 19918:2017 - Protective clothing - Measurement of cumulative permeation of chemicals with low vapour pressure through materials - defines laboratory test methods to evaluate how materials, closures and seams used in personal protective equipment (PPE) resist permeation by solid or liquid chemicals with low vapour pressure (below 133 322 Pa at 25 °C) and/or low solubility in common collection media. The standard is specifically targeted at chemicals (for example, active ingredients in pesticide formulations and other mixtures) that cannot be measured reliably using permeation methods designed for volatile or water‑soluble substances.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and applicability: Test methods for materials, closures and seams when exposed to low‑vapour‑pressure or insoluble chemicals; suitable for field‑strength and concentrated pesticide formulations.
• Cumulative permeation measurement: Designed to quantify the total amount of chemical passing through a material over time. The method is intended to rate relative performance for different exposure durations.
• Limitations: Not suitable for volatile chemicals that may evaporate before analysis; does not measure breakthrough time, penetration through physical holes, or material degradation.
• Test components and procedures: Specifies apparatus (permeation cell - schematic and drawings are included in annexes), analytical methods, extraction efficiency determination, specimen preparation, contamination control, extraction and chemical analysis, and expression/reporting of results.
• Pre‑treatment reporting: Allows testing of new materials or materials after required treatments (e.g., laundering or simulated abrasion); any treatments must be fully reported.
• Documentation: Test report requirements and interlaboratory precision/bias information are provided.

Applications and users

EN ISO 19918 is practical for:

• PPE manufacturers developing or validating chemical‑protective garments, gloves and closures for pesticide or specialty chemical exposure.
• Independent test laboratories performing permeation testing for non‑volatile, poorly soluble actives.
• Occupational safety professionals and procurement teams selecting PPE for agricultural, industrial chemical handling, or formulation‑mixing tasks.
• Regulators and certification bodies assessing conformity claims and comparing material performance under standardized lab conditions.

This standard helps assess relative contamination risk from low‑vapour‑pressure chemicals and supports informed PPE selection where conventional permeation standards are inadequate.

Related standards

• ISO 6529 (permeation for volatile/soluble chemicals)
• EN 16523‑1 (permeation of liquids and gases)
• ASTM F739 (standard permeation test) EN ISO 19918 complements these standards by covering involatile or insoluble chemicals not addressed elsewhere.