Assessing release of hazardous substances from construction products – Review of 10 years of experience with a horizontal approach in the European Union

Aspects like compressive strength or fire resistance are familiar requirements for construction products, and have been addressed by product standard developers for decades. New requirements concerning health and environmental aspects of construction products have appeared gradually during the last two decennia. The EU legislation for construction products has promoted the performance approach. This means that it is not enough to list environmentally benign materials in administrative provisions and standards. To assess a product's emission performance reliable test methods are needed and any requirements must be backed up with test methods. This article reviews the development and harmonization of assessment methods for the release of hazardous substances from construction products, presents the results achieved so far in standardization and makes recommendations regarding the future use of the new horizontal assessment methods.