Phthalates – Method for the determination of nine phthalates in workplace air using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS)
Air Monitoring Method – Translation of the German version from 2014
Lutz Nitschke1 (Method development)Dietmar Breuer2 (External verification)
Adela Frenzen1 (Method development)
Birgit Heinrich2 (External verification)
Ralph Hebisch3 (Head of the working group “Air Analyses” of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
Thomas Helmut Brock4 (Head of the working group "Analytics")
Andrea Hartwig5 (Chair of the Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)
MAK Commission6
1 Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, Pfarrstraße 3, 80538 München, Germany
2 Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Alte Heerstraße 111, 53757 Sankt Augustin, Germany
3 Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), Friedrich-Henkel-Weg 1–25, 44149 Dortmund, Germany
4 German Social Accident Insurance, Institution for the raw materials and chemical industry, Prevention - Department of Hazardous Substances, Biological Agents and Analytical Chemistry, Kurfürsten-Anlage 62, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
5 Institute of Applied Biosciences, Department of Food Chemistry and Toxicology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Adenauerring 20a, Geb. 50.41, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany
6 Permanent Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Kennedyallee 40, 53175 Bonn, Germany
Abstract
This analytical method is a validated measurement procedure for the determination of several phthalates such as dimethyl phthalate, diethyl phthalate, diallyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, benzyl butyl phthalate, dicyclohexyl phthalate, bis(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate and bis(2‐propylheptyl) phthalate in workplace air. With this method airborne phthalates in the gaseous state as well as bound to particles are collected simultaneously. Sampling is performed by drawing a defined volume of air through a sampling system consisting of a glass fibre filter located in a GSP sampling head and an adsorption tube filled with PU foam connected downstream using a suitable pump. The flow rate is set to 1 L/min with a recommended air sample volume of 60 to 120 litres. For sample preparation the collected phthalates are desorbed from the sample carriers (filter and PU foam) with 1,4‐dioxane. The sample solution is analysed by means of gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). The quantitative determination is based on calibration functions obtained by means of multiple‐point calibrations. The limit of quantification for an individual phthalate is between 0.015 and 0.096 mg/m3.
Joint Publication of the Analytical Subcommittee of the Chemistry Board of Experts of the Expert Committee Raw Materials and Chemical Industry of the German Social Accident Insurance and the Working Group “Air Analyses” of the Permanent Senate Commission of the DFG for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area.
