SIST EN ISO 20686:2025
(Main)Footwear - Critical substances potentially present in footwear and footwear components - Determination of certain organic solvents (ISO 20686:2025)
Footwear - Critical substances potentially present in footwear and footwear components - Determination of certain organic solvents (ISO 20686:2025)
This document specifies a method to quantify residues of certain organic solvents (see Annex A) in footwear materials with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
This document is applicable to footwear materials where there is a risk for the presence of certain solvent residues (e.g. solvent present in glues, leather finishing and coated textiles, plastics, rubber).
Schuhe - Möglicherweise in Schuhen und Schuhbestandteilen vorhandene kritische Substanzen - Bestimmung bestimmter organischer Lösemittel (ISO 20686:2025)
Dieses Dokument legt ein Verfahren für die quantitative Bestimmung von Rückständen bestimmter organischer Lösemittel (siehe Anhang A) in den Materialien von Schuhen mithilfe von Gaschromatographie-Massenspektrometrie (GC MS) fest.
Dieses Dokument ist anwendbar für Materialien von Schuhen, bei denen das Risiko besteht, dass bestimmte Lösemittelrückstände enthalten sind (z. B. Lösemittel in Klebstoffen, zugerichtetem Leder und beschichteten Textilien, Kunststoffen, Gummi).
Chaussures - Substances critiques potentiellement présentes dans les chaussures et les composants de chaussures - Dosage de certains solvants organiques (ISO 20686:2025)
Le présent document spécifie une méthode pour la quantification des résidus de certains solvants organiques (voir l’Annexe A) dans les matériaux des chaussures par chromatographie en phase gazeuse couplée à la spectrométrie de masse (GC-MS).
Le présent document est applicable aux matériaux des chaussures susceptibles de contenir certains résidus de solvant (par exemple solvant présent dans les colles, la finition du cuir et les textiles enduits, les plastiques, le caoutchouc).
Obutev - Kritične snovi, ki so lahko v obutvi in delih obutve - Določanje nekaterih organskih topil (ISO 20686:2025)
Ta dokument določa metodo za količinsko določanje ostankov nekaterih organskih topil (glej dodatek A) v materialih obutve s plinsko kromatografijo z masno spektrometrijo (GC-MS). Uporablja se za materiale obutve, pri katerih obstaja tveganje za prisotnost ostankov nekaterih topil (npr. topilo, prisotno v lepilih, zaključnem premazu usnja ter prevlečenem tekstilu, plastiki in gumi).
General Information
- Status
- Published
- Public Enquiry End Date
- 05-Dec-2023
- Publication Date
- 22-Jul-2025
- Technical Committee
- I13 - Imaginarni 13
- Current Stage
- 6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
- Start Date
- 16-Jun-2025
- Due Date
- 21-Aug-2025
- Completion Date
- 23-Jul-2025
Relations
- Effective Date
- 28-Jan-2026
Overview
SIST EN ISO 20686:2025 specifies a standardized method for the determination of certain organic solvents in footwear and footwear components. Developed by ISO/TC 216 and CEN/TC 309, this standard supports the identification and quantification of potentially hazardous residues in materials such as leather, coated textiles, plastics, and rubber. By using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), the standard delivers reliable results that help manufacturers, laboratories, and regulators monitor compliance with chemical safety requirements.
Organic solvents are frequently used in the footwear industry in glues, coatings, and finishes. However, some pose health risks to consumers through skin contact or inhalation. This standard provides a precise, harmonized approach to testing, supporting the safety and quality of footwear products worldwide.
Key Topics
- Target Substances: The standard covers various organic solvents that may be present in footwear, including glycol ethers, amides, and pyrrolidones. These substances are of concern due to their potential toxicity.
- Analytical Method: The procedure relies on GC-MS to accurately identify and quantify solvents. This method enables sensitive detection, even at low concentrations.
- Sample Preparation: Guidelines are included for preparing representative test specimens from single material types extracted from footwear products to ensure consistency.
- Limit of Quantification: The method is capable of detecting solvents at levels as low as 10 mg/kg or below, supporting rigorous quality control.
- Reporting Requirements: The standard outlines the minimum information required in the test report, ensuring traceability and reproducibility of results.
Applications
SIST EN ISO 20686:2025 is highly relevant for a range of stakeholders in the footwear supply chain:
- Footwear Manufacturers: Monitoring and limiting the presence of restricted organic solvents in raw materials, adhesives, and finishing agents to improve product safety and meet legal requirements.
- Testing Laboratories: Conducting chemical analyses for regulatory compliance, quality assurance, or internal audits using validated and internationally accepted methodologies.
- Regulatory Authorities: Enforcing safety regulations by referencing a harmonized method for solvent residue testing in footwear products distributed in domestic and international markets.
- Brands & Retailers: Managing supply chain risk and ensuring products conform to global chemical safety standards, thereby safeguarding consumer health and brand reputation.
This standard is particularly significant for companies exporting footwear to regions with stringent chemical regulations, such as the European Union (including REACH), and for those wishing to demonstrate commitment to product safety and corporate responsibility.
Related Standards
- ISO/TR 16178: Footwear - Critical substances potentially present in footwear and footwear components - Lists of critical chemical substances.
- ISO 19070: Leather - Chemical determination of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) in leather.
- ISO 21061: Footwear - Chemical tests - General principles on the preparation of samples.
- ISO 4787: Laboratory glass and plastic ware - Volumetric instruments - Methods for testing of capacity and for use.
- REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006: Governing the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals in the EU.
Practical Value
By following SIST EN ISO 20686:2025, organizations can:
- Meet regulatory requirements for chemical safety in footwear.
- Reduce risk of consumer exposure to hazardous substances.
- Ensure consistent, reproducible solvent testing across different products and laboratories.
- Bolster confidence in product quality and safety on global markets.
Keywords: footwear standard, organic solvents, GC-MS, safety, compliance, solvent determination, footwear testing, chemical residues, international standards, product safety, SIST EN ISO 20686.
Frequently Asked Questions
SIST EN ISO 20686:2025 is a standard published by the Slovenian Institute for Standardization (SIST). Its full title is "Footwear - Critical substances potentially present in footwear and footwear components - Determination of certain organic solvents (ISO 20686:2025)". This standard covers: This document specifies a method to quantify residues of certain organic solvents (see Annex A) in footwear materials with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This document is applicable to footwear materials where there is a risk for the presence of certain solvent residues (e.g. solvent present in glues, leather finishing and coated textiles, plastics, rubber).
This document specifies a method to quantify residues of certain organic solvents (see Annex A) in footwear materials with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This document is applicable to footwear materials where there is a risk for the presence of certain solvent residues (e.g. solvent present in glues, leather finishing and coated textiles, plastics, rubber).
SIST EN ISO 20686:2025 is classified under the following ICS (International Classification for Standards) categories: 61.060 - Footwear. The ICS classification helps identify the subject area and facilitates finding related standards.
SIST EN ISO 20686:2025 has the following relationships with other standards: It is inter standard links to SIST EN ISO 15995:2021/A1:2024. Understanding these relationships helps ensure you are using the most current and applicable version of the standard.
SIST EN ISO 20686:2025 is available in PDF format for immediate download after purchase. The document can be added to your cart and obtained through the secure checkout process. Digital delivery ensures instant access to the complete standard document.
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2025
Obutev - Kritične snovi, ki so lahko v obutvi in delih obutve - Določanje nekaterih
organskih topil (ISO 20686:2025)
Footwear - Critical substances potentially present in footwear and footwear components
- Determination of certain organic solvents (ISO 20686:2025)
Schuhe - Möglicherweise in Schuhen und Schuhbestandteilen vorhandene kritische
Substanzen - Bestimmung bestimmter organischer Lösemittel (ISO 20686:2025)
Chaussures - Substances critiques potentiellement présentes dans les chaussures et les
composants de chaussures - Dosage de certains solvants organiques (ISO 20686:2025)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 20686:2025
ICS:
61.060 Obuvala Footwear
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EN ISO 20686
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
June 2025
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 61.060
English Version
Footwear - Critical substances potentially present in
footwear and footwear components - Determination of
certain organic solvents (ISO 20686:2025)
Chaussures - Substances critiques potentiellement Schuhe - Kritische Stoffe, die in Schuhen und
présentes dans les chaussures et les composants de Schuhbestandteilen enthalten sein können -
chaussures - Dosage de certains solvants organiques Bestimmung bestimmter organischer Lösemittel (ISO
(ISO 20686:2025) 20686:2025)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 30 May 2025.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 20686:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 3
European foreword
This document (EN ISO 20686:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 216
"Footwear" in collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 309 “Footwear” the secretariat of which
is held by UNE.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by December 2025, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by December 2025.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 20686:2025 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 20686:2025 without any modification.
International
Standard
ISO 20686
First edition
Footwear — Critical substances
2025-05
potentially present in footwear
and footwear components —
Determination of certain organic
solvents
Chaussures — Substances critiques potentiellement présentes
dans les chaussures et les composants de chaussures — Dosage de
certains solvants organiques
Reference number
ISO 20686:2025(en) © ISO 2025
ISO 20686:2025(en)
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO 20686:2025(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Principle . 1
5 Reagents . 2
5.1 Chemicals .2
5.2 Standard solutions .2
5.2.1 Target organic solvents — Stock solution .2
5.2.2 Internal standard — Stock solution .2
5.2.3 Calibration solutions .2
5.2.4 Extraction solution with internal standard .3
6 Apparatus . 3
7 Preparation of test specimen . 3
8 Test procedure . 4
8.1 Extraction .4
8.2 Determination with GC-MS .4
9 Expression of results . 4
9.1 Calibration curve .4
9.2 Determination of the organic solvent content .5
9.3 Performance of the method .5
10 Test report . 5
Annex A (informative) Information on some identifiable organic solvents . 6
Annex B (informative) Parameters for GC-MS determination of organic solvents . 7
Annex C (normative) Characteristics for MS analysis . 8
Annex D (informative) Total ion chromatogram of organic solvent standards by GC-MS analysis . 9
Bibliography .11
iii
ISO 20686:2025(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 216, Footwear, in collaboration with the
European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/TC 309, Footwear, in accordance
with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
ISO 20686:2025(en)
Introduction
Industrial organic solvents are often used as ingredients in adhesive, treating agents and coating agents for
footwear.
Some organic solvents are toxic. Harmful solvents left in footwear materials can penetrate into the human
body through skin contact during wearing and by inhalation after being released from the footwear,
harming the health of consumers. Both glycol ethers and amide solvents will form highly toxic compounds
after metabolism in the body, which cause permanent damage to the blood and nervous system. Long-term
exposure to high concentrations of these compounds can cause cancer. In addition, ethylene glycol ether
solvents can cause permanent damage to the female reproductive system.
Due to this potential effect, the listed organic solvents in Annex A are based on those which have been
[1]
restricted in some regulations (e.g. by the EU regulation No 1907/2006 in the European Union, and by
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). ISO/TR 16178 describes which materials are concerned by this
determination.
v
International Standard ISO 20686:2025(en)
Footwear — Critical
...