www.eurofins.com

How accredited labs can help construction product manufacturers cost effectively

Dr. Roland Augustin

Brussels09. November 2011

Eurofins Product Testing

DänemarkGaltenclose to Arhus

Eurofins Product Testing A/S

voc@eurofins.com

Manchester (UK)Galten (DK)

Paris (FR)Torino (IT)

Hamburg (D)

Shanghai (CN)

Bangkok (TH)

Hong Kong (HK)

Shenzhen (CN)

Des Moines (USA)

Reichenwalde (D)

Bangalore (IND)

Bratislava (SK)Suzhou (CN)

Aix (FR)

Barneveld (NL)

Test chambers

Photo: Eurofins Product Testing A/S

Evaluation

Three reasons for testing:Legal requirements and limit values-Germany, Japan, California, France

Ecolabels (M1, Blue Angel, EMICODE, GUT, BIFMA, Floor Score, CRI, …)

Customers (e.g. LEED, IKEA, Real Estate management)

Main activity today in, Germany, France, Finland, USA, Japan,

Emission Testing: ISO 16000 standards as core principle, accreditations basically valid on a world wide basis:

• Part 3 (Aldehydes)• Part 6 (VOC; TVOC) • Part 9 (chamber) (earlier: EN 13419-1)• Part 10 (FLEC) (earlier: EN 13419-2)• Part 11 (Test specimen) (earlier: EN 13419-3)

Emission Testing today

All programs evaluate in-use phase emissionsEvaluation mostly after 28 days in Europe, after 14 days in USALimits after 3 days cover renovation / refurbishingTesting in ventilated test chambers

VOC long-term emissions – schedule

Example of a decay curve

Lifetime

Emissions

Low VOC emissions rating schemes

EU Regulation:

Germany (DIBt / AgBB)

French label + CMR

(CE marking)

E1 formaldehyde class

EU Labels & Specifications:

EMICODE

GUT

Indoor Air Comfort

EU ecolabel

M1, Finland

Blue Angel, Germany

Several local labels

US Regulation:

Formaldehyde (CARB, federal law)

VOC content (SCAQMD and more)

US Labels:

California CDPH "Section 01350"

FloorScore

Indoor Advantage

ANSI/BIFMA X7.1/M7.1/level

CRI Green Label Plus

Greenguard

Cradle-to-Cradle

Sustainable Building programs, e.g. LEED

Reference rooms – Comparison

ISO 16000-9

New CENstandard

CA office

CA classroom

Floor m² 7 12 11.1 89.2

Height m 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.6

Volume m³ 17.4 30 30.6 231

Loading m²/m³ depending on what product (wall, floor, …)

Temperature °C 23 23 23 23

Relative Humidity %

50 50 50 50

Effective air change /h

0.5 0.5 0.675 0.81

Test chambers – Comparison

ISO 16000-9

New CENstandard

EN 717-1 CA Section 01350

Size open min. 20 l 0.225 – 12 m³ 20 – 100 l

Loading, floor (0.4) 0.4 – 0.3 – 0.7

Loading, wall (1.4) 1.0 1.0 0.3 – 0.7

Effective air change /h

(0.5) 0.25 – 1.5 1.0 1.00.05

Temperature °C

232

231

230.5

231

Relative Humidity %

505

505

453

505

ISO: The ratio between ventilation and loading is fixed, not absolute values

Regulation on low VOCs:German approval for construction products French compulsory labeling of VOC emissions classCE mark for several products will come after 2013 ?E1 class in CE mark for wood-based panels and products

Voluntary labels with low VOC specification:Marketing instrument for promotion of low VOC products

Long-term emissions determined after 28 daysLimit values often derived from occupational hygiene limitsTVOC limits as surrogate limit for non-regulated VOCs, and for health effect of mixturesUniform procedure for testing and evaluation for fair competition;ISO 16000 standards as basis for VOC emissions testing

Mostly self-declaration based on emissions tests combined with market controls

Basic principles in Europe

Regulation on low VOCs:Only CARB and US law on low formaldehyde emissions from wood-based panels

Voluntary labels with low VOC specification:Marketing instrument for promotion of low VOC products

Long-term emissions determined after 14 daysTested / evaluated after 14 daysOr tested after 7 days and extrapolated to 14 daysLimit values from California based on toxicological studiesNo TVOC limits except BIFMA and GreenguardNo uniform procedure for testing and evaluationOften manufacturer will NOT know test results in certification process

Testing + auditing + certification of production sites

Basic principles in USA

CE mark = common language for declaration of product properties

CE mark is compulsory for many construction products

for entry into EU market

Basis is a mandate from European Commission to CEN

Product specific Technical Committee then issues a performance standard

Compliance with that standard allows use of CE Mark

VOC emissions shall be included in many such norms in future

For textile & resilient floorings: Expansion of EN 14041 by TC 134

For wood flooring: Expansion of EN 14342 by TC 175

For adhesives: Expansion of EN 14259 by TC 193

VOC emissions & CE marking – EU

www.eurofins.com/cpd-voc

DIBt – German VOC regulation

Regulation covers:Textile, resilient, laminate floor coverings,Sports floors,Flooring screeds,Parquet coatings, parquet adhesives and parquetWall coatings,Flooring adhesives (from 1 Jan 2012),Acoustic subfloors (from 1 Jan 2012),planned: more products.

– for use in regularly occupied spaces (commercial as well as residential)

www.eurofins.com/agbb

France – compulsory label

* Information sur le niveau d’émission de substances volatiles dans l’air intérieur, présentant un risque de toxicité par inhalation, sur une échelle de classe allant de A+ (très faibles émissions) à C (fortes émissions)

www.eurofins.com/france-voc

France – compulsory label

Classes C B A A+

TVOC > 2000 < 2000 < 1500 < 1000

Formaldehyde > 120 < 120 < 60 < 10

Acetaldehyde > 400 < 400 < 300 < 200

Toluene > 600 < 600 < 450 < 300

Tetrachloroethylene > 500 < 500 < 350 < 250

Xylene > 400 < 400 < 300 < 200

1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene > 2000 < 2000 < 1500 < 1000

1,4-Dichlorobenzene > 120 < 120 < 90 < 60

Ethylbenzene > 1500 < 1500 < 1000 < 750

2-Butoxyethanol > 2000 < 2000 < 1500 < 1000

Styrene > 500 < 500 < 350 < 250

www.eurofins.com/france-voc

France – compulsory label

Regulation covers:Walls, ceiling, floor coverings and coatings,Panels for rooms partition and suspended ceilingInsulation products,Doors and windows,All products used for the installation of the products listed above.but NOT untreated metal or glass, lockers, iron, screws etc.

Evaluation / compliance by self-declaration on basis ofVOC emissions testing after 28 days, ISO 16000 tested, European Reference Roomor any other equivalent information

www.eurofins.com/france-voc

Products covered (as of June 2011):

Floor coverings

• textile

• resilient

• wooden

Insulation material

Gypsum boards

Installation products (adhesives, sealants etc.)

Furniture

Paints and coatings

Indoor Air Comfort – products

www.indoor-air-comfort.com

California CDPH Section 01350

Developed as purchase criteria in CaliforniaBased on VOC emission testing

First 10 days storage, then 4 days in test chamberResults are calculated for class room and for office room

Testing:After (in total) 11, 12 and 14 days

Evaluation after 14 days:Limit values: ½ of CREL (chronic respiratory exposure levels)35 VOCs are on CREL list of 2010No TVOC limit value in California

Latest version is of 2010 (version 1.1)Voluntary label. Importance on market: - in LEED sustainable building projects.- in California and in parts of the USA.

CDPH = California Department of Public Health

www.eurofins.com/section-1350

Large variety of sustainability rating systems exists Only some of these include product VOC requirements, such asLEED (USA, Italy, …), BREEAM (UK), HQE (France)

Products can NOT be certified Building projects earn points for achieving high ranking,e.g. for energy savingUse of low VOC products can help earning some points by fulfilling specifications, “credits”, on low VOCsProduct testing may deliver essential documentation for showing compliance with these creditsFinal decision on acceptance is with a building auditor

As an example – the US GBC® logo on a product means nothing more than:

Manufacturer is member of US GBC® organization.LEED compliance is required for purchase of construction products more and more often in USA, Asia, and Europe.

Low VOC in Green building programs

www.eurofins.com/green-buildings

Global labels – accepted by LEED?

DIBt, Germany (floorings)

VOC regulations and AFSSET, France (several building products)

M1, Finland (all building products)

Blue Angel, Germany(many different products)

Umweltzeichen, Austria (many different products)

Indoor Air Comfort, Europe(several products)

Danish Indoor Climate Label(many building products)

Nordic Ecolabel ("Swan")(several building products)

GuT, Europe (carpets)

EMICODE, Europe (adhesives, sealants and more)

CertiPUR, Europe (PUR foam)

CertiPUR US (PUR foam)

Californian Section 01350 / LEED (many building products + furniture)

FloorScore, USA (floorings)

BIFMA, USA (office furniture)

Indoor Advantage, USA (several products)

CRI, USA (carpets)

Cradle-to-cradle

Green Label, Hong Kong(several products)

EMICODE showed to be at least comparable with CDPH Section 01350GUT showed to be at least comparable with CRI GLPUS limit values seem lower than they are because of higher ventilation in reference room(higher ventilation = more dilution of emissions)Nevertheless, as of today:

NO European ecolabel is accepted as proof for LEED compliance of productsWork is on-going for a change, but when …? 2012???

Acceptance of EU labels by LEED® ?

Summary

Three reasons for testing:Legal requirements and limit values-Germany, France, California,

Ecolabels

Customers

Combination of testing reduces costs for industry!

Vielen Dank für Ihre Aufmerksamkeit!