Eurofins Product Testing - LEED® for Adhesives and Sealants
Please also click below for more general information 
LEED for adhesives and sealants
LEED®, the US originated rating system for sustainable buildings, is requested by more and more building planners in the USA and in Europe and at the Gulf.
Copies of that rating system can be found in the Gulf region, in Italy, in Australia, and in some Asian regions. Slightly different approaches are in use in Europe, see also here.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non profit organization that developed and administers the LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System.
Please see our presentation on LEED® - a new challenge for low VOC emission materials, as presentation slides and as paper, held at CERTECH conference on Odours and Emissions from Materials in October 2009.
LEED and products
Products cannot be LEED certified. Only buildings can.
Use of low emitting materials is helping to achieve points for improving indoor air quality. Motivation of product manufacturers to show that their product can support collecting LEED® points ("LEED® compliance") is that they can sell their products to those who want to achieve LEED® certification of their building. But USGBC does not foresee any type of "LEED® compliance" attestation of a product. An overview of these requirements for purchasers and commissioners is available for download in English, in German and soon also in French.
Indoor Environmental Quality specifications by LEED®, EQ credit 4.1
There are VOC requirements for adhesives and sealants in the LEED® 2009 specifications for
- Commercial Interior
- New Construction
- Core and Shell
- Existing Buildings (in credit MR3)
These go for VOC content determination, where all volatiles are determined by weight loss after drying at 110°C during 1h. Besides VOC, also water evaporates then. Therefore a water determination is added and all water is subtracted. Furthermore, all VOCs that are not relevant for ozone generation in ground-level atmosphere ("exempt compounds") are subtracted. Limit values are different per product group and application.
Some examples of limit values (Volatiles minus water minus exempt compounds):
- Flooring adhesives 50 g/l
- Rubber floor adhesives 60 g/l
- Wood floor adhesives 100 g/l
- Indoor sealants 250 g/l
The data can be determined by calculation or by testing. References methods include SCAQMD rule 1168, SCAQMD methods 304 and 303, ASTM D2369 and D3960, EPA method 24. Also ISO 11890-1 is equivalent to ASTM D2369.
For testing, the laboratory needs to know what type of adhesive or sealant the test is about. Please see a table with the different product groups and respective limit values. And please use our LEED specific order form.
There are different VOC requirements for adhesives and sealants in the LEED® 2009 specification for
These go for VOC emission chamber testing in accordance with Section 01350 specification. A comparison of test data showed the equivalency of EMICODE EC1, Blue Angel and CA Section 01350 requirements.
Other points may be achieved for recyclable and for recycled content.
Italy
GBC Italia has different specifications - you need to show compliance with EMICODE EC1 specifications for EQ credit 4.1 in Italian version of LEED.
LEED 2012 now open for public comment
LEED 2012 with important changes and additions now is open for 2nd public comment between August 01 and September 14, 2011. You can see details on major proposed changes and commenting procedure on our special page and in our blogs.
Using synergies
If a manufacturer needs VOC testing for markets on both sides of the Atlantic, then Eurofins can help saving money by combining all required testing into one test setup. This service is unique in whole world. No single other testing laboratory is approved for VOC emission chamber testing of adhesives and sealants both for US purposes and for European labels such as Blue Angel, EMICODE and M1, combining this with a world-wide valid ISO 17025 accreditation.
Further Information
Please see our flyer on LEED® issues in English or in French, or contact our national organisations or our specialists for using Eurofins expertise that may help to establish sustainable and green buildings.
Order forms and testing request forms for VOC testing are available for free download here.
Further contacts regarding LEED:
- USGBC Contact page
- USGBC Customer Service page
- LEED FAQ
- LEED User with tips, help and discussion forum
- LEED Rating systems
- LEED Addenda with updates and clarifications
- GBC Italia Contact page
There is a European database with products showing compliance with LEED or DGNB criteria. This database is not comprehensive but can show you a selection of relevant products.
Your direct contacts:
Direct contact to Eurofins Product Testing A/S, the world market leader for VOC emissions chamber testing:
- Sales: Reinhard Oppl, email voc@eurofins.com
- Certification: Dr. Roland Augustin, email ccs@eurofins.com
- Testing laboratory: Thomas Neuhaus, email voc@eurofins.com
Phone: +45 7022 4276
2200 Rittenhouse St., Suite 150
Des Moines, IA 50321
Phone +1-515-362-5937
Note: "U.S. Green Building Council", "USGBC", "LEED" and related logos are trademarks owned by the U.S. Green Building Council and used by permission.