Formaldehyde Emission Testing

On 6 August 2026, an amendment to Annex XVII of Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (REACH), specifically Entry 77 “Formaldehyde”, came into force. The amendment sets limits for formaldehyde emissions from products potentially intended for use in indoor environments of buildings or road vehicles.

The amendment sets a limit of 0.062 mg/m³ for wood-based articles and furniture and 0.080 mg/m³ for other articles.

Until now, formaldehyde has been systematically tested primarily in construction products permanently incorporated into buildings as part of the certification process, such as flooring, coatings and other construction products. The new requirements also make it necessary to assess potential formaldehyde emissions from products for which such testing has not previously been common, including:

• furniture, including kitchen, bathroom and children’s furniture,
• loose carpets,
• curtains and household textiles,
• chairs, upholstered chairs, sofas and mattresses,
• certain electrical products, such as light fixtures,
• so-called aftermarket products for road vehicles, such as car mats, seat covers, transport boxes and other accessories installed in vehicle interiors,
• components intended for caravans, motorhomes and accessories for passenger cars, for example for the installation of sleeping modules.

The legislation concerning interior components for road vehicles will enter into force on 6 August 2027. However, in view of laboratory capacity, we recommend starting testing already now.

ITC laboratories have several emission test chambers available, ranging from small 200-litre chambers to a 12 m³ walk-in chamber, which enables the testing of large samples.

We will be happy to answer any questions and assist you with arranging the appropriate tests so that you can demonstrate the health safety of your products with regard to formaldehyde emissions.

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