Testing

The new requirements are as follows:

the following Appendix 14 is added:

1. Measurement of formaldehyde released to indoor air from articles referred to in paragraph 1, first subparagraph, of entry 77.

The formaldehyde released from articles referred to in paragraph 1, first subparagraph of entry 77 shall be measured in the air of a test chamber under the following cumulative reference conditions:

(a) the temperature in the test chamber shall be (23 ± 0.5) ℃;

(b) the relative humidity in the test chamber shall be (45 ± 3) %;

(c) the loading factor, expressed as the ratio of the total surface area of the test piece to the volume of the test chamber, shall be (1 ± 0,02) m2/m3. This loading factor corresponds to the testing of wood-based panels; for other material or products, if such a loading factor is clearly not realistic under foreseeable conditions of use, loading factors in accordance with Section 4.2.2 of EN 16516 may be used;

(d) the air exchange rate in the test chamber shall be (1 ± 0.05) h-1;

(e) an appropriate analytical procedure for measuring the formaldehyde concentration in the test chamber shall be used;

(f) an appropriate method for sampling of the test pieces shall be used;

(g) the formaldehyde concentration in the air of the test chamber shall be measured at least twice per day throughout the test with a time interval between two consecutive samplings of 3 hours at a minimum; the measurement shall be repeated until sufficient data are available to determine the steady state concentration;

(h) the duration of the test shall be sufficiently long to allow the determination of the steady state concentration and shall not exceed 28 days;

(i) the steady state concentration of formaldehyde measured in the test chamber shall be used to verify the compliance with the limit value of formaldehyde released from articles referred to in paragraph 1, first subparagraph, of entry 77.

If data from a test method using the reference conditions specified above are not available or suitable for the measurement of the formaldehyde released from a specific article, data obtained from a test method using non-reference conditions may be used, where there is a scientifically valid correlation between the results of the test method used and the reference conditions.

2. Measurement of formaldehyde concentration in the interior of vehicles referred to in paragraph 2, first subparagraph, of entry 77.

For road vehicles, including trucks and buses, the formaldehyde concentration shall be measured in ambient mode in accordance with the conditions specified in ISO 12219-1or ISO 12219-10, and the concentration measured shall be used to verify the compliance with the limit value referred to in paragraph 2, first subparagraph, of entry 77.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is a high production volume chemical with a wide array of uses.The primary use of formaldehyde is in the manufacturing of wood-based panels, where they act as a bonding agent for wood particles. Such formaldehyde are also used in the production of other wood-based products like furniture, cabinets and flooring materials, and for wallpapers, foams, parts for vehicles and aeroplanes, textile and leather products.

AGC reminds: 

The publication of the revised directive of the (EU) 2023/1464, which applies to a wide range of products and will have an impact for many industries. Enterprises should pay attention to the laws and regulations in a timely manner, make good response, use environmental protection materials, reduce the risk of violation.