EN 16516: VOC emissions from construction materials

The EN 16516 standard outlines a test chamber method for determining volatile and semi-volatile organic compound (VOC and SVOC) emissions from construction products. Emissions are typically measured 28 days after the installation of representative test specimens in the test chamber.

Conditions within the chamber are kept constant throughout the testing period, with the temperature at 23 ± 1 °C, relative humidity at 50 ± 5 %, air change rate at 0.5 per hour, and air velocity above the specimen at 0.1–0.3 m/s. The loading factor (ratio of exposed test specimen area to the empty chamber volume) is chosen based on product type and intended conditions of use.

At the end of the test period, air is collected from the chamber using adsorbent tubes and analyzed by thermal desorption GC-MS (TD-GC/MS) to identify and quantify target compounds.

The results will include:

  • Individual concentrations of identified target compounds (including known carcinogenic VOCs), identified non-target compounds, and unidentified compounds. The last two are reported as toluene equivalents.

  • Total VOC (TVOC), calculated as the sum of all compounds (identified and unidentified) eluting between and including n-hexane and n-hexadecane.

  • Total SVOC (TSVOC), calculated as the sum of all compounds eluting after n-hexadecane, up to and including n-docosane.

For compliance assessment, the measured VOC levels can be compared with limits specified in national emissions standards or sustainability certifications, such as the German AgBB, French ANSES, Finnish M1 Emission Classification, or the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. Depending on the scheme, maximum limits can apply to TVOC, total carcinogenic VOC, and/or individual compounds, such as formaldehyde.

The results for individual compounds can also be compared with EU-LCI values, harmonized health-based reference values based on the ‘lowest concentration of interest’ concept.

Suitable sample matrices
Flooring materials, wall coverings, doors, windows, sealants, etc.
Available quality systems
Accredited test method
Standard

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