This part of ISO 16000 specifies a general laboratory test method for determination of the area specific emission rate of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from newly produced building products or furnishing under defined climate conditions. The method can in principle also be applied to aged products. The emission data obtained can be used to calculate concentrations in a model room.
According to the definition of an emission test cell, it is also possible to perform non-destructive emission measurements on building products on-site in buildings. However, the procedure for such measurements is
not described in this part of ISO 16000.
Sampling, transport and storage of materials to be tested, and preparation of test specimens are described in ISO 16000-11. Air sampling and analytical methods for the determination of VOCs are described in ISO 16000-6 and ISO 16017-1[20].
An example of an emission test cell is described in Annex C of this part of ISO 16000.
For the determination of formaldehyde emissions from wood-based panels, refer to EN 717-1:2004 [21] and ISO 12460-1 [1]. However, this part of ISO 16000 is also applicable to wood-based panels and other building products in order to determine the emission rate of formaldehyde. The measurement procedure for formaldehyde is described in ISO 16000-3 [2].