Test Your Building Products, Earn Market Recognition!

Mid-size chambersThe number of interior building products being impacted by VOC emissions standards is increasing. Low-emitting carpet products and office furniture were the first product categories to earn credits within USGBC’s LEED® rating systems. Now LEED® IEQ Credit 4.3: Low-Emitting Materials – Flooring Systems encompasses all types of flooring products. Wet-applied products, i.e., paints and coatings and adhesives and sealants, have traditionally been subject only to VOC content requirements. This is changing. ASHRAE / IESNA / USGBC Standard 189.1, Section 8.4.2.2 gives manufacturers the compliance option of VOC content or VOC emission testing according to CDPH/EHLB/Standard Method Version 1.1.

The CHPS school rating system specifies both VOC content and VOC emission limits for these categories. Acoustic ceilings, wall panels, wall coverings, textiles, and thermal insulation are new categories that are being incorporated within the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) scopes of green building rating systems, codes, and purchasing specifications. Federal weatherization programs for homes are sensitive to potential IAQ issues and are now focusing on the VOC emissions of thermal insulation.

The variety of rating systems for building products with low VOC emissions presents the challenge to make low IEQ-impact products, but affords the potential opportunity to market these products to architects, designers, and consumers who are increasingly interested in the environmental performance of the products they select. Berkeley Analytical (BkA) works with product manufacturers throughout this process.

  • We perform cost-effective screening tests during product development cycles to help you meet VOC emission requirements while balancing other performance criteria
  • We serve as your quality control laboratory to monitor supply stream and product performance over time and/or at different manufacturing locations
  • Our tests, conducted to the requirements of CDPH/EHLB/Standard Method Version 1.1 and other standards, allow you to demonstrate your product’s compliance with building rating systems, codes, and environmentally preferred purchasing programs

BkA has been involved with VOC emission testing since the lab's origins in the late 1980's. We contributed to the original ASTM Standard Guide D 5116, which establishes the foundation for all small-scale chamber testing, are members of ASTM D22.05 on Indoor Air, are stakeholders with CA Department of Public Health for revisions of their Standard Method, and are voting members of a consensus board for developing a broad-based VOC emission standard. BkA’s test reports are accepted by many product certification programs and are frequently used as the basis for manufacturers’ self-declared claims. Contact us now to get started!