Topics | Umweltbundesamt

Even today, harmful formaldehyde from wood-based materials and other products is still offgassing into indoor air. Low-emission products are now more important than ever, as, for energy-conservation reasons, new and renovated buildings are more air-tight now than they used to be. The German Environment Agency (UBA) has achieved, that the test conditions have been adapted to the state of the art. read more

People in developed countries spend the majority of their lives indoors, on average about two thirds in their home. However, the quality of indoor air is not always beneficial to human health. read more

Products used in construction contain many organic and inorganic substances. If they are released into the indoor air of buildings, or into the soil and groundwater, they can pose a risk to the environment and human health. Sofar these inputs of contaminants from building products have been quantified only sporadically. read more

Refurbishing is fun and it beautifies the home. However, hazardous substances frequently lurk in building products - joint sealants, paints and varnishes. Building products which outgas volatile organic compounds (VOC) and odours can be harmful to the health and well-being of the people who reside inside. Healthy indoor air is therefore a very important issue. read more

Children nowadays spend most of their time indoors. This is why it is all the more important that indoor air quality be good read more

Environmental product declarations for construction products provide guidance in the selection and ease the documentation of products in the construction process. They also provide the fundamental information for carrying out life cycle assessments. read more