Overview
EN ISO 24998:2008 - Plastics laboratory ware: Single-use Petri dishes for microbiological procedures specifies requirements and test methods for plain, single-use plastic Petri dishes intended for routine microbiological work. The standard covers design, materials, dimensional ranges, performance (rigidity, thermal distortion, fracture resistance, stacking stability), contamination limits, packaging and marking. It does not apply to dishes used for cell/tissue culture or to dishes supplied pre-filled with microbiological media. EN ISO 24998:2008 is the CEN-adopted version of ISO 24998:2008.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and exclusions: Applies to plain, single-use Petri dishes for microbiology; excludes cell/tissue culture vessels and pre-loaded media dishes.
- Materials: Made from microbiologically inert, transparent plastic; may be self-coloured for batch identification.
- Types and sizes: Four types - circular and square, with or without internal dividers. Typical nominal sizes include 60 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm and 140 mm (round) and 100×100 mm, 120×120 mm (square).
- Design features:
- Lids may include a rim (≤ 1 mm) to reduce lateral sliding.
- Internal dividers (if present) must be 50–100% of dish height and prevent leakage between compartments.
- Venting protrusions (if provided) have defined height ranges; venting must be marked with “V” on packages.
- Dimensional and flatness limits: Base and closed lid faces must be planar within specified flatness limits (typically about 1.0–1.5 mm depending on size).
- Performance tests (normative annexes):
- Rigidity: lid internal dimension must not decrease >1 mm; dish not >2 mm under specified load.
- Thermal distortion: dishes must retain flatness and not rock after thermal exposure.
- Resistance to fracture: lids and dishes must withstand specified loads without fracture or permanent deformation.
- Stacking stability: a stack of 10 dishes must remain stable when tilted 12°.
- Contamination limits: Visual inspection to ensure absence of loose particles >100 µm under defined illumination.
Applications and who uses this standard
- Manufacturers of single-use Petri dishes - for product design, quality control and labelling.
- Quality managers and procurement teams - to specify compliant supplies for microbiology labs.
- Clinical, food, environmental and industrial microbiology laboratories - to ensure appropriate disposables for reliable culture work.
- Automation engineers - to verify dimensional and stacking compatibility with robotic plate handlers.
- Regulators and conformity assessors - for product assessment and market surveillance.
Related standards
- Prepared by ISO/TC 48 (Laboratory equipment) and adopted by CEN as EN ISO 24998:2008. For broader laboratory ware requirements consult other ISO standards under ISO/TC 48 and regional CEN documents.
Keywords: EN ISO 24998:2008, ISO 24998:2008, single-use Petri dishes, plastics laboratory ware, microbiological procedures, Petri dish dimensions, rigidity test, thermal distortion, stacking stability, venting protrusions, contamination limits.
