Association for the Control of Emissions in Products
for Flooring Installation, Adhesives and Building Materials (GEV)
GEV - Classification Criteria
Requirements for Emission Controlled Wood Flooring Coatings,
Award of EMICODE
(Edition: 28.07.2010, replaces 18.05.2010)
1.
Objective
This document defines criteria allowing an evaluation of the impact of installation
products, adhesives and construction products for Essential Requirements ER3
“Environment, Hygiene and Health” under EU Construction Products Directive1, and for
classification with respect to long-term emissions into indoor air.
2.
Range of Application and Definitions
2.1
Parquet Surface Treatment Products
Parquet surface treatment products are coatings and primers used for sealing parquet
surfaces. They are used on large surfaces at construction sites for improvement of antislip properties and for permanent protection of wooden floorings, or for preparing of such
a coating. Temporary protection used for cleaning and for care are not considered
surface treatment products within the frame of this definition. Criteria for evaluation of
surface treatment products are described in a separate document.
2.2
Volatile Organic Solvents (Solvents) – DecoPaint Directive
EU directive 2004/42/EU limits use of volatile organic compounds (VOC in certain paints
and coatings, among that surface coating for use on parquet. The term “volatile organic
compound” is defined then as any compound with an initial boiling point of maximum 250
°C at standard air pressure 1013 hPa (solvent). Water based parquet surface coating
may contain a low amount of VOC for technical reasons.
2.3
Volatile Organic Compounds – VOC (as specified for GEV)
GEV is using generally accepted terminology on Volatile Organic Compounds – VOC, as
used in international standards.
1
Essential requirements No. 3 of the Construction Products Directive 89/106/EEC, Annex 1 No. 3
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GEV Classification Criteria for wood flooring coatings – edition: 28.07.2010
2.3.1 Volatile Organic Compounds – VOC
Organic compounds that are detected in the interval of n-hexane (n-C6) to n-hexadecane
(n-C16) under the conditions specified in ISO 16 000 part 6.
2.3.2 Very Volatile Organic Compounds - VVOC
Organic compounds that are detected before n-hexane (< n-C6) under the conditions
specified in ISO 16 000 part 6.
2.3.3 Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds - SVOC
Organic compounds that are detected in the interval after n-hexadecane (> n-C16) to ndocosane (n-C22) under the conditions specified in ISO 16 000 part 6.
2.4
Emissions
Emissions are all volatile organic compounds that are released from products into the
surrounding indoor air under normal conditions. The emissions profiles may be
monitored in emissions test chambers.
2.5
Emissions Controlled Parquet Surface Treatment Products
Emissions controlled parquet surface treatment products are construction chemicals as
defined above that fulfil the requirements specified in clause 3.1 and 3.2.
2.6
EMICODE
EMICODE is a registered mark of the GEV for labelling and classification of emissions
controlled products.
For classification of products with respect to their emissions, the term EMICODE always
shall be used in combination with the correct emissions class according to 3.2.3 as
follows:
3.
EMICODE
EC 1: „very low emission“2
EMICODE
EC 2: „low emission“1
Requirements for Installation Products
Building products shall be safe in use. They may not, therefore, be hazardous to the
health of installers or users and shall have the lowest possible impact on the
environment. For these reasons the following requirements have to be fulfilled by
emissions controlled installation products.
2
For usage of the supplemental label „R“ (regulated) see clause 3.1.2
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3.1
GEV Classification Criteria for wood flooring coatings – edition: 28.07.2010
General Requirements
3.1.1 Laws on Chemicals
All legal regulations with regard to production, labelling and packaging must be observed.
Products labelled with the “skull with crossbones” (toxic, very toxic) cannot be labelled
with an EMICODE.
A Safety Data Sheet according to local regulations or laws has to be issued for each
emissions controlled product even if labelling is not legally required.
3.1.2 Occupational Health
Emissions controlled products for wood flooring surface treatment are generally water
based.
The EMICODE classification label must be amended by the appendage "R" (regulated)
for products which comply with the requirements under § 3 but
• that have to be labelled in accordance with the EU Directives 67/548/EEC
(Dangerous Substances) and 45/1999/EC (Dangerous Preparations) including
their amendments, or
• that have to be labelled with risk phrases (R-phrases), or
• that have to be labelled as hazardous preparations according to the
local law where the product is used,
• and that therefore may require special actions for ensuring occupational safety
during application (e.g. reactive resins, cement based products),
• or those products that form and release VVOC by chemical reaction (e.g. silan
terminated reactive resins).
3.2
Special Requirements
Emission controlled wood flooring surface treatment products may contain so-called film
building agents - organic liquids of different volatility (VVOC, VOC or SVOC) - which are
released into indoor air during application or during first time when the room is in use.
For limiting these so called emissions specifications for emissions controlled products
are defined as follows.
3.2.1 CMR substances
Compounds that are considered proven carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction
(CMR) substances (CMR classes 1 and 2) according to European Directives must not be
used for production of EMICODE products 3.
A test shall show that emissions of any volatile organic C1 and C2 compound does not
exceed 10 µg/m³ after 3 days and 1 µg/m³ after 28 days. Testing shall be performed
according to the separate document "GEV Testing Method".
In addition to the above, product emissions after 3 days are specified as follows:
Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde (both C3 compounds), each not above 50 µg/m³.
3
A list of classified C1, C2 and C3 compounds can be seen here (in German):
http://www.dguv.de/ifa/de/fac/kmr/index.jsp.
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GEV Classification Criteria for wood flooring coatings – edition: 28.07.2010
Testing of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde is done in a test chamber (see the separate
document "GEV Testing Method").
3.2.2 Exclusion of further ingredients
Emissions controlled parquet surface treatment products must be water based. They can
contain maximum 8 % by weight VOC4 (see 2.2). Furthermore Methylethylketoxim
(MEKO) and Methylisobutylketoxim (MIBKO) must not be used for the sake of
occupational hygiene and for avoiding odour problems. A specific test for these
compounds therefore is not required.
3.2.3 Limitation of Very Volatile, Volatile and Semi-Volatile Organic Ingredients
Testing of volatile organic compounds which might be released from a construction
product during a longer time period is done in a test chamber (see the separate
document "GEV Testing Method").
Classification into the respective EMICODE class is done on the basis of the results of
this test based on the determination of the sum of all very volatile, volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (TVOC5).
Product emissions after 28 days are specified as follows for parquet coatings:
EMICODE EC 1:
EMICODE EC 2:
< 150 µg/m³ TVOC
150 to 450 µg/m³ TVOC
The label is supplemented with a final letter R (EMICODE EC 1 R) for products that fulfil
the specification in clause 3.1.2 sentence 2 and that therefore may require actions for
ensuring occupational safety during application.
4.
Classification of Products
4.1
Responsibility of the Manufacturer
It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to determine which, if any of the above
mentioned criteria are fulfilled by a product. This concerns also changes of the formula
which might change the classification of the product.
4
For the transitional period until 30.06.2011 a VOC content up to 10% by weight is accepted.
The term ’TVOC’ as defined in this document covers all volatile, very volatile and semi-volatile organic
compounds that can be determined with GEV Testing Method. This definition of TVOC thus is broader than
TVOC definitions used in other documents, e.g. in EN ISO 16000-6, or in Blue Angel criteria. Those TVOC
definitions include neither very volatile (VVOC) nor semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), while t TVOC in
this document covers also these substances.
5
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4.2
GEV Classification Criteria for wood flooring coatings – edition: 28.07.2010
Testing
Before applying for a license, the manufacturer must check whether the product meets
the specifications of § 3. Special tests should preferably be carried out by a laboratory
experienced in carrying out the GEV Testing Method.
Documentation and recording of the test results is done according to the manufacturer's
own internal system.
4.3
Licensing the EMICODE
4.3.1 Application for a License
An application for a licence to use the EMICODE label can be sent to the GEV if the
relevant product meets the specifications of § 3. A special form is available from the GEV
and shall be used for the application.
4.3.2 Grant of the License
After the license is granted the product may be labelled with EMICODE but only in
combination with the correct emission class. Only the GEV document “Licence for Use of
the Trademark EMICODE” may be used as certificate for the compliance of the product
with the GEV Specifications and Classification Criteria.
4.4
Control Checks
The GEV reserves the right to examine the correctness of product classifications done by
the manufacturers. GEV follows advice from third parties on incorrect classifications and
punishes these according to the sanctions that are prescribed in the GEV statutes.
For this purpose GEV uses one or several independent experts who check compliance of
the product with the specifications in § 3. Evaluation of § 3.2.1 and
§ 3.2.3 may only be done using the analytical procedures described in GEV Testing
Method § 3, especially in § 3.4 "Testing for C-Substances" and § 3.5 "Testing for longterm Emissions" (Tenax TA / thermal desorption) by a testing laboratory accredited for
this kind of testing in accordance with ISO 17 025 which is qualified. If the manufacturer
doubts the results he may request a repetition of the test at his own cost.
4.5
Authorised Testing Laboratories
The Technical Council of the GEV decides on which testing laboratories are accepted for
testing in cases of dispute and for control testing. The basic requirement is an
accreditation of the chamber testing and of the involved analytical methods according to
ISO 17 025.
This decision is further based on the results of round robin tests which are open for any
laboratory wishing to show their qualification.
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5.
6.
GEV Classification Criteria for wood flooring coatings – edition: 28.07.2010
Accompanying Documents
GEV-Constitution
GEV-Testing Method
Form Sheets: Application for License and Grant of License
Changes and Adaptations
The Technical Council of the GEV is responsible for setting specifications and
classification criteria. GEV is responsible for documentation and adaptation of changes.