Eurofins Product Testing - French Regulations on VOC emissions from construction products

(French version)

Please also click below for more general information

on VOC emission testing for ecolabels

on the meaning of VOC

on LEED and Green Buildings

CMR emissions

From 1. Jan 2010, only construction products may be sold in France if they show 28 days emission of CMR substances trichloroethylene, benzene, DEHP and DBP below 1 µg/m³ each, tested with ISO 16000 and calculated for European reference room.

Original texts of both regulations on trichloroethylene, benzene, DEHP and DBP, as notified to EU Commission, can be seen by clicking twice:

• For English language - here and here.
• For French language - here and here.
• For German language - here and here.
• For other languages - here and here.

Compulsory VOC emissions labelling

Another French regulation is in preparation on a mandatory labelling with their emission classes of all construction products and decorative products installed indoors, based on emission testing.

This regulation was sent to EU Commission for notification and foresees that from 1. Sept. 2011 any such product placed on the market, and from 1. Sept. 2013 all such products, will be labelled with emission classes based on their emissions after 28 days, tested with ISO 16000 and calculated for European reference room, as for the two other French regulations. Standstill period was extended and now comments are possible until 23rd June 2010.

The limit values for the emission classes, as in notified draft version, are listed below.

Classes	C	B	A	A+
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
n-Butylacetate	>10000	<10000	<7500	<4800
2-Butoxyethanol	>2000	<2000	<1500	<1000
Styrene	>500	<500	<350	<250
TVOC	>2000	<2000	<1500	<1000

There will be a label on the products with  two small letters indicating (a) the highest (worst) class of the listed individual substances, and (b) the TVOC class. A large letter will indicate the highest (worst) class of these both assignments.

There will be detailed rules on how the label has to look like. An example is given below.

You will find the original texts in two documents -

• in English language - by clicking here and here.
• in French language - by clicking here and here.
• in German language - by clicking here and here.
• in other languages - by clicking here and here.
• ... and economic impact investigation in English, in French and in German language

"Grenelle Environnement"

Both above initiatives of French government, running under the French name "Le Grenelle Environnement", go for implementing the goals of the national environment and health action plan PNSE 2.

AFSSET guideline

French AFSSET agency published the guideline ”Protocole AFFSET”, updated in 2009, for limiting VOC emissions into indoor air. It specifies chamber emission testing and limit values after 3 and after 28 days of storage in a ventilated test chamber - the 28 days test is regarded as representative for long-term emissions. This guideline is not binding and there is no procedure for showing compliance, but AFSSET agency recommends to base evaluations of VOC emissions from products on this guideline.

Eurofins offers testing

• either just an ISO 16000 test for showing compliance with French regulations, or with AFFSET guideline, or with both
• or the same test but supplemented with another test method with lower detection method for DEHP and DBP.
• Background for that differentiation is the fact that there are doubts whether that the specified test method cannot detect such low levels of DEHP and DBP.

Further Information

For downloading a technical sheet with more information, please here in English or in French.

Eurofins Product Testing A/S offers all relevant testing. The test programme can be expanded such that the same test can be used also for other regulations and labels in Europe - this will be much cheaper than if you order both tests separately. Reporting is possible in French, in English or in German, or in other languages upon request.

For further information please contact our national organisations or our specialists for making use of the experience of Eurofins, the world market leader for VOC emissions chamber testing.

Order forms and testing request forms are available for free download here.

Your direct contacts:

Direct contact to Eurofins Product Testing A/S, the world market leader for VOC emissions chamber testing:

• Sales: Reinhard Oppl, email ReinhardOppl@eurofins.com
• Certification: Dr. Roland Augustin, email ccs@eurofins.com
• Testing laboratory: Thomas Neuhaus, email product-emissions@eurofins.com