Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry

Chamber emission test according to national and international standards

• Testing and evaluation of construction products according to the French VOC regulation (DEVL1104875A), assessment of emission classes A+, A, B, C (ARRÊTÉ relatif à l’étiquetage des produits de construction ou de revêtement de mur ou de sol et des peintures et vernis sur leurs émissions de polluants volatils“)
• Testing and evaluation according to California Specification 01350 (Standard method for the testing and evaluation of volatile organic chemical emissions from indoor sources using environmental chambers); evaluation according to Proposition 65.
  
• Testing and evaluation according to Richtlinie UZ 07 for wood and wood-based material (Austrian environmental label)
  
• Testing and evaluation according to Belgian VOC Regulation (Königlicher Erlass zur Festlegung der Grenzwerte für die Emissionen in den Innenraum von Bauprodukten für bestimmte beabsichtigte Nutzungsarten, Stand 01.10.2014)
  
• Chamber emission tests for BREEAM UK New Construction, SD 5078, section cvi “Indoor air quality”
  
• Chamber emission tests for LEED v.4.1 Building Design and Construction
  
• Testing and evaluation for TÜV PROFiCERT- product Interior (TUV PROFiCERT-product Interior V1.2)
  
• Chamber emission tests for assessment of  the formaldehyde concentration according to German Chemikalien-Verbotsverbotsverordnung (ChemVerbotsV)
  
• Testing and evaluation for German MVV TB (Musterverwaltungsvorschrift Technische Baubestimmungen) and ABG (Anforderungen an bauliche Anlagen bezüglich des Gesundheitsschutzes)
  
• Testing and evaluation of emissions and odor according to German AgBB Scheme (Ausschuss zur gesundheitlichen Bewertung von Bauprodukten)
  
• Testing and evaluation according to GEV test method for classification of EMICODE^® classes (EC1^PLUS_, EC1, EC2)
  
• Emission and odor testing according to quality mark RAL-GZ 430
• Chamber emission and odor testing of products according to „Blue Angel“ DE-UZ criteria, e.g.:
  • DE-UZ 12a (Low-emission and low-pollutant Varnishes)
  • DE-UZ 38  (Low-Emission Furniture and Slatted Frames made of Wood and Wood-Based Material)
  • DE-UZ 76  (Low-Emission Panel-Shaped Materials (Construction and Furnishing Panels) for Interior Construction) 
  • DE-UZ 113 (Low emission floor-covering adhesives and other covering materials) 
  • DE-UZ 117 (Low Emission Upholstered Furniture)
  • DE-UZ 119 (Mattresses)
  • DE-UZ 120 (Elastic Floor Coverings)
  • DE-UZ 123 (Low-Emission Sealants for Interior Use)
  • DE-UZ 128 (Low-Emission Textile Floor Coverings)
  • DE-UZ 132 (Low-Emission Thermal Insulation Material and Suspended Ceilings for Indoor Use)
  • DE-UZ 148 (Leather)
  • DE-UZ 156 (Flooring Underlays)
  • DE-UZ 176 (Low-Emission Floor Coverings, Panels and Doors for Interiors made of Wood and Wood-Based Materials)
  • DE-UZ 177 (Remanufactured toner cartridges and ink cartridges for printers, copiers and multifunction devices)
  • DE-UZ 198 (Low-Emission Internal Plasters)
  • DE-UZ 219 (Office Equipment with Printing Function (Printers and Multifunction Devices)
• Testing and inspection of indoor dispersion paints (award criteria "Schadstoffgeprüft“, WKI test specification WKI-PS-DIF-002)
• Testing and evaluation of PU insulation material according to the quality mark "pure life" (Fraunhofer WKI – Prüfstandard, WKI-PS-EPUD-001)
• Testing and evaluation of office equipment according to ISO/IEC 28360-1
• Testing and evaluation of 3D-printers according to ANSI/CAN/UL 2904
• Testing and evaluation of air cleaners against different gaseous and particulate air pollutants according to GB/T 18801
• Testing and evaluation of the reduction of aerosolized bacteriophages by air cleaners in accordance to VDI-EE 4300 Blatt 14
• Testing and evaluation of combustible air freshners according to DIN EN 16738 und DIN EN 16739
• Measurement of the emissions from electric home appliances (e.g. kitchen ovens) and evaluation according to guidance values
• Measurements according to guidelines of Qualitätsgemeinschaft Deutscher Fertigbau (QDF) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen e. V. (DGNB)
• Testing of materials according to ISO-16000-3, -6, -9, -10, -11
• Evaluation of construction products in accordance to DIN EN 16516

Odor testing and odor assessment

• GC/O to determine off-odors in consumer products
• Sensory determination of odors according to
  • DIN ISO 16000-28 : perceived intensity, hedonic tone
  • VDI 4302 Blatt 1: odor intensity by category scale, perceived intensity, hedonic tone
  • RAL GZ 430
  • VDA 270
  • ISO 12219 Teil 7
  • PV 3900

Vehicle interior parts and materials

• ISO 12219 part 3 – VOC screening by micro chamber
• ISO 12219 part 4 – determination of VOC, including:
  • N-Nitrosamines
  • Plasticisers (Phthalate)
  • VVOC (1,3-butadiene)
• ISO 12219 part 6 Determination of semivolatile organic compounds
  
• ISO 12219 part 7 Determination of odor
• VDA 270 Determination of the odor of car interior parts
• VDA 275 Determination of the formaldehyde release of car interior parts
• VDA 276 Determination of organic emissions of car interior parts in a 1m³ test chamber
  • Part 1: Standard emission test
  • Part 3: Determination oft he sum concentration by FID
• VDA 277 Determination of organic emissions of non-metallic car parts
• VDA 278 Determination of VOC and Fog values

Home appliances

• Testing of home appliances concerning the release of volatile organic compounds, aldehydes and particulate matter using online measurement technologies.
• Assessment of baking ovens during use according to guideline values and limit values.
  

Particle analytics

• Analysis of ultrafine and fine particles in test chambers and indoor air.

Assessment of air quality in the indoor environment

Homes and office buildings

• Assessment of air quality including climatic conditions, air exchange rate, gaseous and particulate air pollutants, and odor
• Assessment in accordance to ISO standards, quality marks and labels, e.g. Qualitätsgemeinschaft Deutscher Fertigbau (QDF) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen e.V. (DGNB)

Museum, libraries and archives

• Assessment of air quality exhibition rooms, depots, and display cases including climatic conditions, air exchange rate, gaseous and particulate air pollutants, and odor.

Vehicles (cars, recreational vehicles, public transport)

• Assessment of air quality in the vehicle interior, including climatic conditions, air exchange rate, gaseous and particulate air pollutants, and odor
• Simulation of different use and driving scenarios as well as various environmental conditions

Product and material tests

• Qualitative determination of volatile organic compounds by static or dynamic Heaspace GC/MS
• Determination of metals after digestion or elution (EN 71-3)
• Determination of phthalates in plastic materials, foams and lacquers
• Quantification of residual monomers and photoinitiators in UV-coated surfaces
• Determination of organic acids in air and materials
• Assessment of the functionality of surface-catalytic materials.
• Assessment of the cleaning efficiency of photocatalytic surfaces
• Determination of ammonia in air
• Determination of N-nitrosamines in air