Healthy Buildings 2017 Europe July 2-5, 2017, Lublin, Poland

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1 Healthy Buildings 2017 Europe July 2-5, 2017, Lublin, Poland Paper ID 0090 ISBN: EU-LCI Harmonisation Framework for the Health-based Evaluation of VOC Emissions to Indoor Air from Construction Products Ana Maria Scutaru 1,* and Derrick Crump 2 1 German Environment Agency (UBA), Berlin, Germany 2 IEH Consulting, Market Harborough, UK * Corresponding anamaria.scutaru@uba.de SUMMARY A prerequisite for healthy air quality indoors is the use of low emitting materials. In Europe three mandatory systems are in place to evaluate VOC emissions from building products using different lists of substances: Germany focusses on 185 compounds, France defines classes based on 10 compounds and Belgium refers to the list of compounds with European harmonised lowest concentrations of interest (EU-LCI) values. A group of experts from ten European countries started in 2011 to develop a common European list of substances and associated emission limits (EU-LCI values). This paper reports on the current state of the EU- LCI harmonisation framework, emphasises some particular challenges associated with the process and highlights practical ways of implementing the EU-LCI values. KEYWORDS Vapour phase organic compounds, VOCs, emission testing, CE marking, toxicity 1 INTRODUCTION In modern construction, especially in energy-efficient buildings, where the rate of air exchange with fresh ambient air may be limited, emissions from construction and consumer products may pose a significant impact on the quality of indoor air. Low emitting materials are a basic prerequisite in reduction strategies to mitigate the concentration of chemicals in the indoor environment (Kephalopoulos et al., 2016). In Europe three mandatory systems are in place to evaluate emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from building products using different lists of substances: Germany focusses on 185 compounds, France defines classes based on 10 compounds and Belgium refers to the list of compounds with European harmonised lowest concentrations of interest (EU-LCI) values. Further, there are a number of voluntary product labelling schemes offering a decision-making tool to consumers for choosing a safe product (Brown et al., 2013). During four major health-related European labels participated in an initiative to harmonise the different evaluation criteria, the result was a proposal published in 2012 in ECA Report 27. The core of a harmonised evaluation was seen in a common list of assessed substances with so called LCI values encountered in emissions tests (Figure 1, ECA, 2012).

2 Figure 1. The concept of the harmonisation framework for indoor labelling schemes (ECA, 2012). LCI values are health-based reference concentrations of volatile organic compounds for inhalation exposure used to assess emissions after 28 days from a single product during a laboratory test chamber procedure as defined in the Technical Specification TS of the horizontal testing method developed by the European Standards Organization CEN TC 351/WG 2 (CEN, 2013). In 2011 a group of experts from ten European countries started to develop a common European list of substances and associated emission limits (EU-LCI values). The derivation procedure of these reference values for VOC emissions from construction products and a first list of harmonised EU-LCI values and their rationales were published in the ECA Report No 29 (ECA, 2013). In November 2015 the EU-LCI Working Group received a mandate from the European Commission to continue the evaluation of compounds and establish further EU-LCI values. This paper reports on the current state of the EU-LCI harmonisation framework, emphasises some particular challenges associated with the process and highlights practical ways of implementing the EU-LCI values. 2 PROGRESS WITH SETTING EU-LCI VALUES The EU-LCI Working Group established a health-protective, science-based and transparent yet pragmatic approach for the evaluation of chemical emissions from construction products. The protocol for the de novo derivation of EU-LCI values involves the compilation of toxicological data, data evaluation and derivation of the EU-LCI value on the basis of a total (combined) assessment factor in a standardised factsheet (ECA, 2013). In 2013 the EU-LCI Working Group published values for 82 compounds in ECA Report compounds received ascribed EU-LCI values since they had identical or very similar (within 20%) LCI values in the French ANSES and German AgBB reference lists of 2009 and 2012 respectively. For 21 compounds derived EU-LCI values were established according to the de novo protocol. An updated list with a further 17 derived EU-LCI values was then published at the end of 2015 (Crump et al., 2016). Since December 2016 the former EU-LCI website ( has been transferred to the website of the European Commission At about the same time a further 20 derived new EU-LCI values were published in an updated list. For 5 compounds no EU- LCI values could be derived due to insufficient data. Table 1 lists all substances as of December 2016 with derived EU-LCI values according to the de novo protocol.

3 Table 1. Derived EU-LCI values (as of December 2016) No. CAS no. Compound EU-LCI (µg/m³) Year of adoption Toluene Ethylbenzene Xylene (o-, m-, p-) and mix of o-, m and p-xylene isomers n-propylbenzene Trimethylbenzene (1,2,3-,1,2,4-,1,3,5-) Ethyltoluene ,2,4,5-Tetramethylbenzene n-butylbenzene Diisopropylbenzene (1,3-, 1,4-) Phenyl octane and isomers Styrene Naphthalene n-hexane α-pinene Limonene Methyl-1-propanol Ethyl-1-hexanol Octanol Ethandiol (ethylenglykol) Diethylene glycol Propylene glycol (1,2- dihydroxypropane) Ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (2-ethoxyethanol) Ethoxyethyl acetate Ethylene glycol monobutylether (2-butoxyethanol) Butoxyethyl acetate Phenoxyethanol Formaldehyde Acetaldehyde Butanal Pentanal Hexanal Heptanal Ethyl-hexanal Octanal

4 No. CAS no. Compound EU-LCI (µg/m³) Year of adoption Nonanal Decanal Butenal (crotonaldehyd) Pentenal Hexenal Heptenal Octenal Nonenal Decenal Undecenal Butanone (ethylmethylketone) Methyl-2-pentanone (methylisobutylketone) Acetic acid Propionic acid Ethylhexanoic acid Methyl methacrylate ,4-Dichlorobenzene ,4-Dioxane Caprolactame N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone Butanonoxime Tributyl phosphate N-Ethyl-2-pyrrolidone Further information about the expert group and including the master list of derived, ascribed and pending EU-LCI values is available at the above mentioned website of the European Commission.

5 Derivation of EU-LCI values can be very challenging. After extensive data compilation the experts evaluate the toxicological information and agree the appropriate key study(ies) and lowest dose (POD) for the relevant effect. A critical step in the derivation procedure is the application of assessments factors to be applied to the point of departure value (POD). LCIs values need to be adequate to manage risks through inhalation in the defined exposure scenario but also not so overtly conservative as to be unnecessarily burdensome. The EU-LCI Working Group publishes the rationales behind the EU-LCI values enabling future periodic review to take account of new developments in toxicology. 3 IMPLEMENTING EU-LCI VALUES EU-LCI values are used for the evaluation of data on the emission characteristics of products obtained by an environmental chamber test. Since publication of the proposed harmonised chamber test method as a Technical Standard in 2013, CEN has revised the TS and agreed that the draft EN (pren16516) should be put to formal vote during early Under the mandate from the European Commission the EU-LCI Working Group has been asked to continue with the evaluation of compounds classed as pending according to the protocol. The goal is to have a common EU-LCI list available by 2019 to be included in a legally binding format for labelling of construction products regarding emissions to indoor air. Assessment of chemical emissions is one of the seven basic requirements for building products within the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). It is expected that the Commission will bring forward a draft delegated act on the classification of performance of construction products in relation to their emissions of volatile organic compounds into indoor air. This is envisaged to include the use of LCI values as one of the characteristics that will define classes of performance as part of the harmonised assessment and labelling process under the CPR. EU-LCIs have already been implemented in the German AgBB evaluation scheme. Furthermore the EU-LCI list is mentioned, together with the AgBB LCI list in the Belgium Royal Decree regarding VOC regulation to emissions from construction products. And since the AgBB LCI list is used as criteria in other voluntary labelling schemes the EU-LCI list has also been indirectly adopted. Figure 2 depicts the need and key benefits of a complete EU-LCI list for regulators, manufacturers, architects and consumers. Figure 2. Data evaluation with EU-LCI values.

6 5 CONCLUSIONS A harmonised EU-LCI list is needed to support European classes for assessing and controlling health risks from indoor product emissions. The EU-LCI Working Group developed a healthprotective, science-based and transparent procedure for assessing chemical emissions from construction products. Since 2011 EU-LCI values for 111 compounds have been derived and published. The EU-LCI Working Group will continue the evaluation for approximately 80 compounds listed as pending according to the protocol. Further time will be required to address the compounds with ascribed EU-LCI values. A process for periodic review of existing EU-LCI values and consideration of new compounds will be established. Future challenges within the EU-LCI harmonisation framework include consideration of odour, multiple sources indoors, acute effects and ozone-initiated chemistry. A broader application of the EU-LCI framework is also desirable, e.g. for evaluation of emissions from furniture and other consumer products with an appropriate exposure scenario. 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT All members of the EU-LCI group are listed at 7 REFERENCES Brown V, Crump D and Harrison P Assessing and controlling risks from the emission of organic chemicals from construction products into indoor environments. Environmental Science Processes and Impacts, 15, CEN CEN/TS 16516: Construction products. Assessment of release of dangerous substances. Determination of emissions into indoor air. European Committee for Standardization, Crump D, Daeumling C et al Health-based Evaluation of Chemical Emissions to Indoor Air from Construction Products: Development and Application of the EU-LCI Harmonisation Framework. Indoor Air Session ID Paper ID 96. Belgium July Kephalopoulos S, et al. (2016). Promoting healthy and energy efficient buildings in the European Union National implementation of related requirements of the Energy Performance Buildings Directive (2010/31/EU), EUR, Luxembourg, European Union, ECA Harmonisation framework for indoor products labelling schemes in the EU. European Collaborative Action Urban Air, Indoor Environment and Human Exposure, Report no. 27, European Commission, EUR EN. ECA Harmonisation framework for health based evaluation of indoor emissions from construction products in the European Union using the EU-LCI concept. European Collaborative Action Urban Air, Indoor Environment and Human Exposure, Report no. 29, European Commission, EUR EN.