French guideline on VOC emissions from construction products
In 2006, the French Agence française de sécurité sanitaire de l’environnement et du travail (AFSSET) published for the first time a guideline on the limitations of VOC emissions (by construction products) into indoor air.
In 2009, this so called AFSSET guideline was revised and now regards VOC emissions from a total of 165 substances.
The test basis with the ISO 16000 series of standards in connection with the then draft standard of CEN TC 351 (today’s EN 16516) is the legally stipulated methodology in Germany, which is also used as a basis by the Committee for Health-related Evaluation of Building Products (AgBB) and the German Institute for Structural Engineering (DIBt).
This test according to the so-called AFSSET scheme is not to be mistaken with the test according to the French VOC regulation – this is mandatory for construction and furnishing products on the French market and must be provided by the product manufacturer.
Testing according to the AFSSET criteria, on the other hand, is voluntary but much more comprehensive.
Overview European VOC emissions limit values after 28 days in comparison with Afsset values 2009
| Substance / Limit value after 28 days | AgBB 2021 | Belgian VOC regulation 2014 | French VOC regulation A+ 2011 | Afsset 2009 |
| TVOC | ≤ 1,0 mg/m3 | ≤ 1000 μg/m3 | ≤ 1000 μg/m3 | ≤ 1000 μg/m3 |
| TSVOC | ≤ 0,1 mg/m3 | ≤ 100 μg/m3 | nicht definiert | nicht definiert |
| Toloule | ≤ 2900 μg/m3* | ≤ 300 μg/m3 | < 300 μg/m3 | 300 μg/m3*) |
| Formaldehyde | ≤ 100 μg/m3* | ≤ 100 μg/m3 | < 10 μg/m3 | ≤ 10 μg/m3 |
| Acetaldhyde | ≤ 300 μg/m3* | ≤ 200 μg/m3 | < 200 μg/m3 | 200 μg/m3*) |
| CMR substances 1A & 1B | ≤ 1 μg/m3 (only C substances) | ≤ 1 μg/m3 | ≤ 1 μg/m3 (CMR regulation) | ≤ 1 μg/m3 (CMR regulation) |
| R value | ≤ 1 | ≤ 1 | ≤ 1 | ≤ 1 |
| TVOC w/o LCI | ≤ 100 μg/m3 | not defined | not defined | ≤ 100 μg/m3 |
*) NIK, LCI, CLI
Subject to change without notice; last update: May 15, 2023
