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EN 16516 Building products: Assessment of the release of hazardous substances — Determination of emission levels into indoor air
Category:
Formaldehyde Emission
EN 16516 Standard Description
EN 16516 Construction products: Assessment of release of dangerous substances. Determination of emissions into indoor air
Introduction to EN 16516 Standard
The purpose of EN 16516 is to assess the harmful substances released by construction products in indoor environments, especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other gases that pose potential health risks to humans. This standard provides a unified testing method for assessing the impact of construction products on indoor air quality. This test is widely used for CE marking applications, compliance with France’s A+ VOC label, Germany's AgBB, and environmental certification requirements in various European countries.
Scope of EN 16516
EN 16516 applies to construction products that are used indoors and may affect indoor air quality. This includes finished materials, composite products, and components or surface materials that may release VOCs and other harmful substances during use. The specific products include:
（1）Flooring Materials: Wood flooring, composite flooring, PVC flooring, carpets, floor tiles.
（2）Wall and Ceiling Materials: Interior wall paints (latex paints, oil paints), wallpapers, gypsum boards, decorative panels.
（3）Adhesives and Sealants: Flooring adhesives, wall adhesives, sealant pastes, foam adhesives, etc.
（4）Insulation/Heat-insulating Materials: Rock wool, glass wool, expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyurethane foam.
（5）Wood and Composite Materials: Medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particleboard, plywood, solid wood composite boards, etc.
（6）Furniture Panels or Embedded Components: Composite panels and decorative panels in custom cabinets, kitchen cabinets, etc.
（7）Other Interior Decoration or Structural Products: Ceiling systems, wall panels, soft packaging materials, etc.
EN 16516 Testing Method
The testing process of EN 16516 involves detecting the release of VOCs and other harmful substances from construction materials (such as paints, flooring, adhesives, etc.) in a simulated indoor environment test chamber. The specific testing method is as follows:
◎Sample Preparation: Test samples must be prepared according to their actual usage, such as dried paint or assembled flooring, and arranged based on the ratio of chamber volume to material area (usually 1 m²/m³).
◎Sample Placement: The samples are placed in a sealed test chamber.
◎Test Chamber Environment: The chamber must meet specific environmental parameters: temperature of 23±2°C, relative humidity of 50±5%, air exchange rate of 0.5 times/hour, and materials inside the chamber must have low emissions to avoid interference. The test begins the moment the sample enters the chamber.
◎Test Sampling: Sampling is generally conducted on the 3rd day and the 28th day to reflect both short-term and long-term emission characteristics. Air is extracted through dedicated sampling tubes to collect VOCs, SVOCs, formaldehyde, and other substances.
◎Substance Analysis: Different substances are analyzed using different methods, such as VOCs being analyzed through thermal desorption combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and formaldehyde being collected using a DNPH tube and analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
◎Test Completion: The concentrations of each detected substance are listed (in µg/m³) and compared with the corresponding LCI reference values (the acceptable minimum concentration in indoor air).
EN 16516 Judgement Criteria
If the emissions exceed the standard limits, the product is considered non-compliant. The report will also include key data such as testing conditions, product information, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) concentrations.
SATISFY offers a one-stop service for testing VOC emissions, including preliminary assessments, documentation preparation and submission, full test process follow-up, report interpretation, data analysis, and improvement recommendations.
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