This European Standard specifies a method for the determination of selected polybrominated flame retardants (BFR), chemically known as polybrominated diphenylethers (BDE), in waste materials using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in the electron impact (EI) ionisation mode (GC-EI-MS).

When applying GC-EI-MS, the method is applicable to samples containing 100 µg/kg to 5 000 µg/kg of tetra-to octabromodiphenylether congeners and 100 µg/kg to 10 000 µg/kg of decabromo diphenylether (see Table 1). It is also possible to analyse other brominated flame retardants applying the method described in this European Standard, provided the method's applicability has been proven.