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Test methods and standards for REACH-compliant formaldehyde testing

How reference methods, rapid methods and correlation interact – and what this means for manufacturers.

Inicio Insights Technologies

The new REACH limits for formaldehyde require robust testing methods. Manufacturers must provide legally recognised evidence while still monitoring their production efficiently. This article explains the most important standards and shows how reference methods and rapid methods can be combined effectively.

First, it is worth considering the question:

What testing procedures does REACH provide for?

The REACH Regulation refers to defined chamber procedures for testing emissions from products containing formaldehyde. These test chambers simulate typical indoor conditions under precisely controlled climatic conditions. The legal limit values refer directly to these test conditions – therefore, the corresponding procedures are referred to as reference chamber methods.

The test conditions to be observed are described in Appendix 14 of the REACH Regulation. It specifies:

  • A temperature of 23 ± 0.5 °C in the test chamber air
  • A relative humidity of 45 ± 3 %
  • A load of 1 ± 0.02 % m²/m³ (*)
  • An air exchange rate of 1 ± 0.05 h-1
  • A sufficiently long test period, but no more than 28 days

* Applies to wood-based materials. Other materials can be tested with other loads if a load of 1 m²/m³ is unrealistic. See EN 16516 for more information.

These reference chamber test procedures are also described in standards. The EN 717-1 and EN 16516 standards are particularly relevant for European users.

Which reference methods are suitable for REACH testing?

Reference chambers have been used for many years in the wood-based materials industry and in testing institutes to determine formaldehyde emissions. The methods described in EN 717-1 and EN 16516 in particular have become established. Both can in principle also be used for REACH testing, but they differ significantly in their applicability.

EN 717-1: The test conditions defined in EN 717-1 correspond to the specifications in Appendix 14 of the REACH Regulation. This means that this method can be used directly and without restriction for REACH-compliant emission tests.

EN 16516: The EN 16516 standard deviates from the specifications in Appendix 14 in some parameters, such as the air exchange rate. The results obtained in this way are therefore generally higher and can only be used if they are still below the REACH limit value or if they correlate with results from EN 717-1.

In addition to these two methods, there are other chamber standards such as ISO 12460-1, which is largely equivalent to EN 717-1, or ISO 12219-1/10, which were primarily developed for emission measurements in vehicle interiors. For the vast majority of users, however, EN 717-1 will remain the most practical and suitable reference chamber standard for reliably monitoring the formaldehyde emissions of their products in the REACH context.

Why reference methods alone are not enough

Although reference methods remain the gold standard for formaldehyde emission testing, they are hardly suitable for production monitoring. Measurements typically take between one and four weeks, require large test rooms and strictly controlled climatic conditions, and are therefore time-consuming and costly. Ongoing production cannot be monitored closely enough with these long test intervals, which is why reference tests are almost exclusively carried out in specialised testing laboratories in practice.

For manufacturers, this means that reference methods are indispensable for legal compliance – but they cannot replace continuous monitoring in the production process.

Green bubbles
Defined reference chamber methods are decisive for REACH-compliant emission tests – however, they are only suitable to a limited extent for continuous monitoring in production.
GreCon GASANALYSER MC product against grey-white background
Where reference methods reach their temporal limits, the rapid gas analysis method used by the GreCon GASANALYSER MC enables close monitoring during the production process.

Rapid methods for emission testing in everyday industrial practice

In practice, a two-stage approach has therefore become established: test chambers, for example in accordance with EN 717-1, provide the legally relevant reference values and serve as the basis for conformity assessment. However, faster methods are needed for ongoing monitoring in the production process. These so-called derived test methods enable more frequent sampling and timely assessment of production quality. There is a wide range of methods to choose from, but three procedures in particular have become established in Europe.

In this classic process, pieces of material are boiled in boiling toluene to extract the formaldehyde bound in the material. For many years, this method was the most widely used form of factory production control, mainly because it is relatively inexpensive and easy to use. However, its main problem lies in the measurement parameter: ISO 12460-5 determines the formaldehyde content, not the emissions. For products with low emission values, the method quickly reaches its limits because the measured content does not adequately reflect the actual emissions. In practice, the perforator method has therefore been increasingly replaced by more precise alternatives, but it is still used in some laboratories.

In contrast to the perforator method, ISO 12460-3 actually measures the formaldehyde emissions of the product. To do this, two test specimens are placed in double chambers heated to 60°C. The formaldehyde released is collected over a period of four hours and then analysed. In addition to the classic wet chemical evaluation, the analysis can now also be carried out automatically – for example, using modern infrared laser spectroscopy. The gas analysis method is still the most widely used rapid method in Europe and, due to its direct emission measurement and good reproducibility, is well suited for factory production control in the REACH context.

For a long time, the ISO 12460-2 standard played virtually no role in Europe, but it was comprehensively revised in 2025 and has since gained significantly in importance. The standard describes emission tests in small chambers with a volume between 0.004 and 1 m³, operated at 25 °C. For the analysis of released formaldehyde, the standard allows the use of a range of established methods – from classic wet chemical methods to modern technologies such as infrared laser spectroscopy. The revised version ISO 12460-2:2025 thus forms the normative basis for rapid emission tests that can be fully automated and enable measurement times of only 15 minutes without the need for downstream manual analysis. This combination of modern analysis technology and great flexibility in the choice of test chamber makes the method particularly suitable for users who want to monitor their production with minimal manual effort and high test frequency. Due to the test conditions, which are very similar to those of classic reference chambers, and the high measurement speed, ISO 12460-2:2025 is an ideal tool for emission testing in the REACH environment.

Why correlation is crucial

The reliable use of rapid methods depends directly on a robust correlation with the reference methods. Only when the results of the rapid methods are systematically compared with the measurements from reference chambers can they be reliably used to assess REACH compliance. To this end, measurement series are usually carried out at established testing institutes. These comparative measurements can be used to derive conversion factors that can be used to convert the results of the rapid method into the expected reference chamber value. The QCL (quality control limit) value is also determined as part of these investigations. It indicates the maximum measurement value of the rapid method at which the result of the reference chamber is still likely to be below the permissible limit value.

For manufacturers, this means that only the combination of reference measurements, cleanly correlated rapid methods and continuous process monitoring can provide the necessary reliability in everyday production.

Implementing practical testing methods

Selecting suitable testing methods is both a technical and organisational task. Manufacturers must ensure that reference tests and production controls are properly coordinated and provide reliable measurement data.

Fagus-GreCon supports companies in this endeavour with measurement technology solutions for formaldehyde testing – from the laboratory to inline monitoring during the ongoing process. This not only enables REACH requirements to be met, but also allows them to be permanently integrated into quality assurance.

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GASANALYSER SL as a grey laboratory product with wet chemistry

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