scope:

This guideline describes a method for the analysis of pyrethroids in indoor air. It also describes the determination of PBO.

The method is designed for the measurement of pyrethroids and PBO in the air of indoor environments for a sampling duration of three to four hours, which corresponds to a sampling volume of approximately 10 m3. This allows the substance-specific determination of concentrations from 2 ng/m3 or 10 ng/m3, which is the lower nanogram range for which this guideline was developed. Other sampling durations are in principle possible, but the performance characteristics are not known.

Section 2 to Section 9 of this guideline describe the sampling and analysis of the pyrethroids permethrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin and deltamethrin and of PBO in indoor air. These compounds are captured by the glass fibre filter with a sampling efficiency > 98%. The associated performance characteristics are listed in Section 8. Other pyrethroids listed in Annex A2 and Annex B2 were not tested for their filterpassing characteristics and may require the use of PU foams [1]. The use of PU foams results in additional requirements being imposed on the sampling and analysis of these pyrethroids. These requirements are described in Annex F. Performance characteristics were not determined.

Annex A contains the physical properties and Annex B the mass spectra and structural formulas of selected pyrethroids.

The analytical method described in this guideline further allows to determine the concentration of pyrethroids and PBO in house dust and in solvent wipe samples (see Annex D and Annex E). The examina tion of material samples is not described in this guideline.

The general measurement plan for indoor air measurements shall be based on the requirements contained in guideline VDI 4300 Part 1. The other parts of this guideline series VDI 4300 describe the procedures for individual substances or substance groups.

The use of this guideline will require prior knowledge of guidelines VDI 4300 Part 1 and VDI 4300 Part 2.