Overview
EN ISO 16179:2025 (ISO 16179:2025) is a harmonized European/ISO standard for the determination of organotin compounds in footwear materials. It specifies a laboratory test method using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC‑MS) - including GC‑MS/MS - to qualify and quantify organotin substances extracted from footwear components. The method applies to all footwear materials except metal hardware (see ISO/TR 16178).
Key topics and requirements
- Analytical principle: extraction of organotins from the material (methanol in acidic medium with tropolone as complexing agent), derivatization to volatile alkyl derivatives using sodium tetraethylborate, followed by separation and detection by GC‑MS or GC‑MS/MS.
- Extraction solvent: methanol is specified (methanol–ethanol remains an option from the previous version); the change reflects validated equivalence.
- Derivatization reagent: use of sodium tetraethylborate to convert polar organotin species to volatile forms suitable for GC analysis.
- Instrumentation: provisions for GC with mass selective detector; annexes provide recommended GC apparatus/conditions and mass spectrometry settings.
- Sample preparation: reference to ISO 21061 for general sample preparation principles.
- Quality and reporting: clauses on calibration solutions, internal standards, blank preparation, expression of results, method precision and the required test report content.
- Normative references: ISO 3696 (water quality for analysis), ISO 4787 (volumetric instruments), ISO 21061 (sample preparation).
- Method scope: applicable to a wide range of footwear materials (excludes metal hardware).
Applications and users
- Who uses this standard:
- Accredited testing laboratories performing chemical safety testing of footwear.
- Footwear manufacturers and component suppliers for internal quality control and supplier verification.
- Brand compliance and restricted substances teams to verify conformance with corporate RSLs.
- Regulatory bodies verifying compliance with chemical restrictions (for example, organotin controls referenced in EU regulatory context).
- Product safety consultants and auditors engaged in footwear chemical risk assessment.
- Practical uses:
- Routine screening and quantitative analysis of organotin contaminants in leather, textiles, polymers, adhesives and other footwear materials.
- Supporting regulatory compliance, product safety declarations, and due diligence in the supply chain.
- Data generation for corrective actions when banned or restricted organotin compounds are detected.
Related standards
Keywords: EN ISO 16179, organotin compounds, footwear testing, GC‑MS, GC‑MS/MS, sodium tetraethylborate, tropolone, methanol extraction, restricted substances.
