Absence of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)/Formaldehyde

What are Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)?

VOCs, including formaldehyde, are Volatile organic compounds.

In the interior environment of buildings, sources of VOC and formaldehyde emissions are numerous and range from sources of combustion (tobacco, candles, incense, fireplaces, etc.) to building and decoration products (plywood, glued products in strips, etc.) via cleaning products (detergents, disinfectants, etc.) and cosmetic products (nail varnish, nail hardeners, etc.).

As VOCs have low molecular weight, they can become gaseous in ambient temperatures. In this form, certain VOCs and especially formaldehyde have a long term impact on human health (especially on the lungs and respiratory system). This is why France issued a decree and a ministerial order on 19 April 2011 concerning the “labelling of building and cladding products, paints and varnishes, stipulating their emission of volatile pollutants”

This decree provides that all building and decoration products used inside buildings and covered by the scope of the ministerial order must have been tested for VOC and formaldehyde emissions and feature a label stipulating the result of this test.

The level of emission of each substance is classified from the lowest to the highest rate: from class A+ to class C. These classes correspond to the ranges of exposure concentrations expressed in µg/m3 and emitted into the atmosphere of a test room after 28 days. Formaldehyde for example must be lower than 120 µg/m3 for class C and than 10 µg/m3 for class A+.