Abstract
The volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted from indoor decorating and refurbishing materials and furniture is recognized as one of the main causes of bad indoor air quality, which has resulted in serious economic losses. In European countries and the U.S., labeling systems for indoor decorating and refurbishing materials and furniture were established to address this issue with good effect. This paper is a review of these existing labeling systems. The basic principle of the labeling systems is introduced. The technical, policy and operational parts of the labeling systems are then discussed. The research concentrates on target pollutants, their threshold values and the testing methods employed. Some problems were uncovered in these labeling systems: too many VOCs were targeted; the method to determine the threshold values was not very rigorous; the testing time was too long (7–28 d). Some China’s special features in developing such system are stated. Therefore, as the world’s largest national producer and consumer of wood based panels and furniture, China should learn from foreign experience of establishing labeling systems as much as it can. However China should not simply copy the foreign approaches but develop its own scientific labeling system for indoor decorating and refurbishing materials and furniture.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Chan C S, Lee S C, Chan W, et al. Characterisation of volatile organic compounds at hotels in southern China. Indoor Built Environ, 2011, 20: 420
Guo H, Kwok N H, Cheng H R, et al. Formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds in Hong Kong homes: Concentrations and impact factors. Indoor Air, 2009, 19: 206–217
Brown S K. Volatile organic pollutants in new and established buildings in Melbourne, Australia. Indoor Air, 2002, 12: 55–63
Yu C W F, Kim J T. Building pathology, investigation of sick buildings — VOC emissions. Indoor Built Environ, 2010, 19: 30–39
Lim S, Lee K, Seo S, et al. Impact of regulation on indoor volatile organic compounds in new unoccupied apartment in Korea. Atmos Environ, 2011, 45: 1994–2000
Zhang L P, Steinmaus C, Eastmond D A, et al. Formaldehyde exposure and leukemia: A new meta-analysis and potential mechanisms. Mutat Res, 2009, 681: 150–168
Adamkiewicz G, Choi H, Saborit J M D. WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: Selected pollutants. Technical Report, WHO regional office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark. 2010. 15–39
Reitzig M, Mohr S, Heinzow B, et al. VOC emissions after building renovations: Traditional and less common indoor air contaminants, potential sources, and reported health complaints. Indoor Air-Int J Indoor Air Qual Clim, 1998, 8: 91–102
Brinke T J, Selvin S, Hodgson A T, et al. Development of new volatile organic compound (VOC) exposure metrics and their relationship to “sick building syndrome” symptoms. Indoor Air-Int J Indoor Air Qual Clim, 1998, 8: 140–152
Dotgan C B, Dorgan C E, Kanarek M S, et al. Health and productivity benefits of improved indoor air quality. ASHRAE Trans, 1998, 104: 658–666
Zhu Y X, Zhang Y P, Li X T, et al. Built Environment (in Chinese). 2nd Ed. Beijing: China Building Industry Press, 2005. 146–148
Haymore C, Odom R. Economic effects of poor IAQ. EPA J, 1993, 19: 28–29
Zhang D. Nearly half of people in the world suffer from indoor air pollution (in Chinese). People’s Daily. 2004-12–30
Spengler J D, Samet J M, McCarthy J F. Indoor Air Quality Handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies Press, 2001
Kephalopoulos S, Koistinen K, Kotzias D. Report No.24-Harmon-isation of indoor material emissions labelling systems in the EU: Inventory of existing schemes. Technical Report, European Collaborative Action, European Commission. 2005
Müller B, Dahms A, Bitter F, et al. Material labelling: Combined material emission tests and sensory evaluations. In: Strøm-Tejsen P, Olesen B W, Wargocki P, et al., eds. Proceedings of the 11th international conference on indoor air quality and climate, 2008 Aug 17–22, Copenhagen. Denmark: Technical University of Denmark, 2008. 1066
Neuhaus T, Oppl R. Comparison of emission specifications in the US and in Europe. In: Strøm-Tejsen P, Olesen B W, Wargocki P, et al, eds. Proceedings of the 11th international conference on indoor air quality and climate, 2008 Aug 17–22, Copenhagen. Denmark: Technical University of Denmark, 2008. 954
Crump D, Däumling C, Winther-Funch L, et al. Report No.27-Harmonisation framework for indoor material labelling schemes in the EU. Technical Report, European Collaborative Action, European Commission. 2010
Yao Y. Research on some key problems of furniture VOC emission labeling system (in Chinese). Disseration for the Doctoral Degree. Beijing: Tsinghua University, 2011. 4–6
Wolkoff P. Trends in Europe to reduce the indoor air pollution of VOCs. Indoor air, 2003, 13: 5–11
Kang Y J, Wang Y Y, Chi C. China’s wood based panel production remained No.1 in the world (in Chinese). China’s Green Times, 2008-12-30
Zhang H. China’s coating production become No.1 for the first time (in Chinese). China’s Building Materials News, 2010-4-8
Pelizzari S, Finzi U. World furniture outlook 2009/2010. Technical Report, Centre for Industrial Studies, Milano, Italy, 2010
Bluyssen P, Cochet C, Fischer M, et al. Report No.18-Evaluation of VOC emissions from building products-Solid flooring materials. Technical Report, European Collaborative Action, European Commission. 1997
German Committee for Health-related Evaluation of Building Products (AgBB). A contribution to the construction products directive: Health-related evaluation procedure for volatile organic compounds emissions (VOC and SVOC) from building products. 2010
RAL German Institutefor Quality Assuranceand Certification. RAL-UZ 38, Low-emission wood products and wood-base products. 2002
German Association for the Control of Emissions in Products for Flooring Installation (GEV). GEV-Testing method-Detemination of volatile organic compounds for control of emissions from products for flooring installation. 2004
French Agency for Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (AFSSET). Procédure de qualification des émissions de composes organiques volatils par les matériaux de construction et produits de décoration (in French). 2009
Danish Society of Indoor Climate. Standard test method for determination of the indoor-relevant time-value by chemical analysis and sensory evaluation. 2003
The Building Information Foundation RTS. Emission classification of building materials: Protocol for chemical and sensory testing of building materials. 2004
California Department of Public Health. Standard method for the testing and evaluation of volatile organic chemical emissions from indoor sources using environmental chamber. 2010
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), U. S. Environmental certification program-Indoor air quality performance. 2007
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, U. S. GGTM.P066, Standard method for measuring and evaluating chemical emissions from building materials, finishes and furnishings using dynamic environmental chambers. 2007
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI/BIFMA X7.1, Standard for formaldehyde and TVOC emissions of low-emitting office furniture systems and seating. 2007
U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Green building rating system for commercial interiors. 2005
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 16000-6, Indoor air-Part 6: Determination of volatile organic compounds in indoor and test chamber air by active sampling on Tenax TA sorbent, thermal desorption and gas chromatography using MS/FID. 2004
Andersson K, Bakke J V, Bjorseth O, et al. TVOC and health in non-industrial indoor environments-Report from a Nordic scientific consensus meeting at Langholmen in Stockholm, 1996. Indoor Air, 1997, 7: 78–91
Molhave L. Organic compounds as indicators of air pollution. Indoor Air, 2003, 13: 12–19
Berglun B, Clausen G, Ceaurriz J D, et al. Report No.19-Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in indoor air quality investigations. Technical Report, European Collaborative Action, European Commission. 1997
Molhave L, Clausen G, Berglund B, et al. Total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) in indoor air quality investigations. Indoor Air-Int J Indoor Air Qual Clim, 1997, 7: 225–240
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. GB/T 18883, Indoor air quality standard (in Chinese). 2002
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 16000-9, Indoor air-Part 9: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds from building products and furnishing-emission test chamber method. 2006
Carter R D, Zhang J S. Definition of standard office environments for evaluating the impact of office furniture emissions on indoor VOC concentrations. ASHRAE Trans, 2007, 113: 466–477
GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, U. S. GGPS.001, GREEN-GUARD indoor air quality standard for building materials, finishes and furnishings. 2010
He Z K, Wei W J, Zhang Y P. Formaldehyde and VOC emissions at different manufacturing stages of wood-based panels. Build Environ, 2012, 47: 197–204
Nordic Ecolabelling Board. Swan labelling of panels for the building, decorating and furniture industry, Version 4.4. 2010
European Committee for Standardization (CEN). EN 120, Wood-based panels-Determination of formaldehyde content-Extraction method called perforator method. 1992
Wang X K, Zhang Y P. A new method for determining the initial mobile formaldehyde concentrations, partition coefficients, and diffusion coefficients of dry building materials. J Air Waste Manage Assoc, 2009, 59: 819–825
Xiong J, Zhang Y. Impact of temperature on the initial emittable concentration of formaldehyde in building materials: Experimental observation. Indoor Air, 2010, 20: 523–529
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. GB/T 17657, Test methods of evaluating the properties of wood-based panels and surface decorated wood-based panels (in Chinese). 1999
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China. GB 18580, Indoor decorating and refurbishing materials-Limit of formaldehyde emissions of wood-based panels and finishing products (in Chinese). 2001
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 12460-1, Wood-based panels-Determination of formaldehyde release-Part 1: Formaldehyde emission by the 1-cubic-metre chamber method. 2007
European Committee for Standardization (CEN). EN 717-1, Wood-based panels-Determination of formaldehyde release-Part 1: Formaldehyde emission by the chamber method. 2004
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). ASTM E1333, Standard test method for determining formaldehyde concentrations in air and emission rates from wood products using a large chamber. 2002
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). ASTM D6007, Standard test method for determining formaldehyde concentration in air from wood products using a small scale chamber. 2002
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). ASTM D6670, Standard practice for full-scale chamber determination of volatile organic emissions from indoor materials/products. 2007
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). ASTM D5116, Standard guide for small-scale environmental chamber determinations of organic emissions from indoor materials/products. 1997
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). ASTM D6196, Standard practice for selection of sorbents, sampling, and thermal desorption analysis procedures for volatile organic compounds in air. 2003
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 16000-3, Indoor air-Part 3: Determination of formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds-Active sampling method. 2001
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). ASTM D5197, Test method for determination of formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds in air (active sampler methodology). 2003
Zhang J S, Nong G, Mason M, et al. Assessing the performance of full-scale environmental chambers using an independently measured emission source. In: Raw G, Claire A, Peter W, eds. The 8th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, 1999 Aug 8–13, Edinburgh. London: Construction Research Communications Ltd, 1999. 5081–5086
Wei W J, Zhang Y P, Xiong J Y, et al. A standard reference for chamber testing of material VOC emissions: Design principle and performance. Atmos Environ, 2012, 47: 381–388
Cox S, Little J, Marand E. Developing a standard reference VOC emissions source. In: Strøm-Tejsen P, Olesen B W, Wargocki P, et al, eds. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, 2008 Aug 17–22, Copenhagen. Denmark: Technical University of Denmark, 2008. 611
Cox S S, Liu Z, Little J C, et al. Diffusion-controlled reference material for VOC emissions testing: Proof of concept. Indoor Air, 2010, 20: 424–433
American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI/BIFMA M7.1, Standard test method for determining VOC emissions from office furniture systems, components and seating. 2007
Bluyssen P M, Fernandes E D, Groes L, et al. European indoor air quality audit project in 56 office buildings. Indoor Air-Int J Indoor Air Qual Clim, 1996, 6: 221–238
Nielsen G D, Hansen L F, Wolkoff P. Chemical and biological evaluation of building material emissions.2. Approaches for setting indoor air standards or guidelines for chemicals. Indoor Air-Int J Indoor Air Qual Clim, 1997, 7: 17–32
Knudsen H N, Kjaer U D, Nielsen P A, et al. Sensory and chemical characterization of VOC emissions from building products: Impact of concentration and air velocity. Atmos Environ, 1999, 33: 1217–1230
Berglund B, Bluyssen P, Clausen G, et al. Report No.20-Sensory evaluation of indoor air quality. Technical Report, European Collaborative Action, European Commission, 1999
Gunnarsen L, Nielsen P, Wolkoff P. Design and characterization of the CLIMPAQ, chamber for laboratory investigations of materials, pollution and air quality. Indoor Air-Int J Indoor Air Qual Clim, 1994, 4: 56–62
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 16000-11, Indoor air -Part 11: Determination of the emission of volatile organic compounds from building products and furnishing-Sampling, storage of samples and preparation of test specimens. 2006
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. 2005
Bortoli M D, Kephalopoulos S, Kirchner S, et al. Report No.21-European inter-laboratory comparison on VOC emitted from building materials and products. Technical Report, European Collaborative Action, European Commission, 1999
Boroli M D, Colombo A. Report No.13-Determination of VOCs emitted from indoor materials and products-Interlaboratory comparison of small chamber measurements. Technical Report, European Collaborative Action, Commission of the European Communities, 1993
Zhang J, Mason M, Hodgson A, et al. An inter-laboratory comparison study of the ANSI/BIFMA standard test method M7.1 for furniture. In: Santanam S, Bogucz E A, Peters C, et al, eds. Proceedings of the 9th International Healthy Buildings Conference and Exhibition, 2009, Sep 13-17 Syracuse, NY, USA. Syracuse: Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems, 2009. 799
Howard-Reed C, Liu Z, Benning J, et al. Diffusion-controlled reference material for volatile organic compound emissions testing: Pilot inter-laboratory study. Build Environ, 2011, 46: 1504–1511
Sariola L, Kukkonen E. Principles and new developments of the emission classification of building materials in Finland. In: Yang X, Zhao B, Zhao R, eds. Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, 2005, Beijing. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press, 2005. 3481–3485
Danish Society of Indoor Climate. General labelling criteria. 2004
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com
Rights and permissions
This article is published under an open access license. Please check the 'Copyright Information' section either on this page or in the PDF for details of this license and what re-use is permitted. If your intended use exceeds what is permitted by the license or if you are unable to locate the licence and re-use information, please contact the Rights and Permissions team.
About this article
Cite this article
Liu, W., Zhang, Y., Yao, Y. et al. Indoor decorating and refurbishing materials and furniture volatile organic compounds emission labeling systems: A review. Chin. Sci. Bull. 57, 2533–2543 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-012-5208-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-012-5208-x