SIST EN ISO 16017-2:2003 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 16017-2:2003 - Indoor, ambient and workplace air: Sampling and analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by sorbent tube / thermal desorption / capillary gas chromatography - Part 2: Diffusive sampling - provides practical guidance for diffusive (passive) sampling of VOCs in indoor, ambient and workplace air. The standard covers the sampling principle, sorbent selection and conditioning, calibration of uptake rates, thermal desorption and capillary GC analysis, and reporting/quality control for a broad range of organic vapours (hydrocarbons, halogenated hydrocarbons, esters, glycol ethers, ketones, alcohols).

Key topics and requirements

• Sampling principle: Use of diffusive (passive) samplers where vapours migrate by diffusion to a sorbent and are later thermally desorbed and analysed by capillary gas chromatography (typically with FID or other suitable detectors). Uptake rates must be calibrated in a standard atmosphere.
• Scope of VOCs: Applicable to many VOC classes; very polar compounds may require derivatisation, very low-boiling compounds are only partially retained (qualitative only), and semi-volatile compounds may be partially recovered.
• Concentration ranges: The document gives approximate usable ranges for common exposure times (examples in the standard include ranges for 8 h and for four-week exposures).
• Sorbents and conditioning: Recommends multiple sorbents (e.g., Tenax GR, Tenax TA, Carbopack/Carbotrap-type carbonaceous sorbents, Spherocarb, Chromosorbs, Porapaks); sorbents must be preconditioned (e.g., heated under inert gas) and handled to avoid contamination.
• Analytical limits and artefacts: Upper limits dictated by sorbent capacity and GC linearity; lower limits by detector noise and blank/artefact levels (typical artefact levels: sub-ng for Tenax GR and carbonaceous sorbents; low-ng for Tenax TA; 5–50 ng for other porous polymers).
• Quality assurance: Procedures for calibration (liquid/vapour spiking), desorption efficiency, uptake-rate calibration, interference checks, and documentation.

Applications and users

• Environmental and occupational hygiene monitoring programs (indoor air quality, workplace exposure assessments, ambient VOC surveys)
• Analytical laboratories performing thermal desorption–GC analysis
• Building consultants, industrial hygienists, regulatory bodies and researchers assessing VOC exposure and compliance
• Useful for long-term passive monitoring (weeks) and short-term exposure assessments (hours)

Related standards

• EN/ISO 16017-1 (Part 1: Pumped sampling)
• ISO 16000-1 (Indoor air - general sampling strategy)
• prEN 13528-3 (theory and performance of diffusive samplers)

Keywords: EN ISO 16017-2:2003, diffusive sampling, passive samplers, VOC sampling, sorbent tube, thermal desorption, capillary gas chromatography, indoor air, workplace air, sorbent selection, uptake rate calibration.