Why do construction materials also have to go through the laboratory?
Indoor air quality: an invisible risk
We spend more than 90% of our time indoors. Yet the quality of the air we breathe in our homes, offices or schools rarely receives the same attention as outdoor pollution. According to the World Health Organisation, indoor air pollution is one of the five main environmental health risks, linked to respiratory diseases, sick building syndrome and even long-term carcinogenic effects.
A significant part of these contaminants comes from construction and decoration materials themselves. Laminate flooring, paints, adhesives, sealants and insulation can emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) — such as formaldehyde, toluene or benzene — for weeks, months or years. As they evaporate easily at room temperature, the evaluation and control of these emissions is not a bureaucratic formality, but an essential tool to guarantee the safety of the end user.
Regulatory framework: what legislation requires in Europe and beyond
For all these reasons, the regulatory landscape surrounding emissions from construction materials has evolved significantly in recent years.
At European level, the Construction Products Regulation (CPR, EU Regulation 305/2011) establishes, within its basic requirements, that construction products must not compromise hygiene, health or the environment (Basic Requirement No. 3, “Hygiene, health and environment”). Its revision through the new CPR (EU Regulation 2024/3110) introduces more explicit requirements on emissions of hazardous substances, paving the way towards a harmonised declaration system at European level.
The technical committee CEN/TC 351 has developed the horizontal reference standards for the evaluation of emissions from construction products. The most important is EN 16516, which regulates emissions affecting indoor air quality (VOCs, SVOCs and formaldehyde), and which in practice is the key technical reference throughout the European sphere.
France was a pioneer with Décret No. 2011-321, which drove mandatory labelling of VOC and formaldehyde emissions in construction and decoration materials. The categories range from A+ (lowest emissions) to C (highest emissions). This system has become a reference for many European manufacturers seeking access to the demanding French market, and is widely adopted on a voluntary basis in other European Union countries.
Other countries, such as Germany and Spain, have their own regulations for construction products. In the German case, the AgBB scheme (Committee for Health-related Evaluation of Building Products) exists, establishing guideline values for the evaluation of emissions in test chambers. At market level, the Emicode and Blauer Engel (Blue Angel) labels are widely required by German buyers as a guarantee of low emissions.
In Spain, the Technical Building Code incorporates in Basic Document HS3 (“Indoor air quality”) ventilation requirements that indirectly seek to limit the accumulation of pollutant emissions. Spain does not yet have a mandatory labelling system equivalent to the French one, although the new European CPR will open the door to its harmonisation in the coming years.
Beyond national regulatory frameworks, the sustainable building certifications LEED, BREEAM and WELL establish their own emissions requirements which, in practice, have become market requirements for high value-added construction projects.
How are emissions evaluated? Principle, protocol and requirements
The standard methodology for evaluating emissions from construction materials is based on testing in a climate-controlled chamber, as set out in standard EN 16516 (equivalent to the ISO 16000-9, -10 and -11 series). This consists of reproducing, in a controlled manner, the environmental conditions of an interior space to quantify the concentration of substances emitted by the materials.
The test is divided into the following stages:
- Prior conditioning: The material is conditioned at controlled temperature and relative humidity (usually 23°C / 50% RH) for a period prior to the test.
- Chamber test (28 days): The sample is placed in the test chamber with constant air flow, temperature and humidity. Samples are taken at 3 days and 28 days, capturing VOCs on Tenax TA adsorbents and carbonyl compounds on DNPH cartridges.
- Chromatographic analysis: VOCs and SVOCs are analysed by thermal desorption coupled with gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (TD-GC-MS), while aldehydes are analysed by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV).
- Calculation of the specific emission rate (SER) and modelling: From the chamber data, specific emission rates are calculated and the predicted exposure concentrations for the user are obtained.
- Evaluation against guideline values: The estimated concentrations are compared with the harmonised European LCI (Lowest Concentration of Interest) values, the AgBB criteria or the French labelling limits, depending on the target market for the product.
Testing time is an important aspect to consider in project planning. In addition to the testing phase itself (28 days), prior stages of sample conditioning and subsequent stages of instrumental analysis and data processing must be taken into account. Considering this process from the earliest stages of development is key to avoiding delays in product launches, approval processes or compliance with regulatory requirements.
How can AIMPLAS help you?
At AIMPLAS we have extensive experience in emissions analysis. To offer you a comprehensive service, we collaborate with a solid network of laboratories that carry out these tests under EN 16516 and the main national schemes, guaranteeing you:
- Advisory: We identify the regulatory requirements of your target market.
- Design and Coordination: We create the optimal testing plan and manage its execution.
- Interpretation and Optimisation: We translate the technical results and support you in reformulating the material if tighter limits need to be met.
If you are developing a new material, seeking homologation for the French or German markets, or adapting to the new Construction Products Regulation, contact us. We will be delighted to accompany you throughout the process.
