KRAFT PAINTSHealthy Atmosphere
KRAFT PAINTS.
KRAFT INDOOR AIR QUALITY WALL PAINTS
Kraft Paints is the first paint manufacturer in Greece that voluntarily analyses the emissions of its indoor wall paints by assuring and certifying its quality through the well-known label «Indoor Air Comfort” so as to ensure that products do not pose a health risk to the customers in collaboration with Eurofins, the world’s leading organization within product emission and VOC testing with more than 23.000 employees with some 30 years collective experience. Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort certification provides assurance that all product-related health criteria for product emissions have been adequately met.
It is a reassuring symbol of a manufacturer’s commitment to product quality and their contribution to a healthy indoor environment.
Most people spend more than 80% of their time indoors. Therefore many people are concerned about INDOOR AIR QUALITY. They understand that poor indoor air quality is caused by products that release harmful pollutants. This can cause a variety of problems – ranging from headaches and irritation of the eyes and throat, to life-threatening ailments.
While this is mainly an issue of proper ventilation, which is not always realized in energy efficient buildings, another important element of indoor air quality is pollution – from surrounding outside air, and from products and materials used indoors.
An important factor affecting indoor air quality is pollution from products and materials used indoors. The emissions from products are called Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). Some of them are natural based like the typical odour of pine trees. Some others are synthetic; for instance, additives and solvents used in paint. VOC can pose a serious health risk, especially to children.
Since many people spend much of their time indoors, long-term exposure to VOCs in the indoor environment can contribute to sick building syndrome. In offices for example, VOC results from new furnishings, carpets, wall coverings, and office equipment such as photocopy machines, which can off-gas VOCs into the air. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a medical condition where people in a building suffer from symptoms of illness or feel unwell for no apparent reason. The symptoms tend to increase in severity as more time people spend in the building, and improve over time or even disappear when people are away from the building.
Healthy AtmosphereChemical factors
In addition to VOCs, some more specific important factors that affect indoor air quality are:
- Formaldehyde (CH2O)
- Nitric Oxides (ΝΟx)
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
An organic compound released mainly from carpets, carpets, MDF, synthetic materials and cigarette smoke. Since 2010, the European Union has, through Decision 2010/675 / EU, banned or even drastically reduced formaldehyde in certain products.
By the term ‘nitrogen oxides’ we refer to the nitrogen oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas mixture and they are among the main pollutants of the external and internal atmosphere. In addition to their natural formation, they are also produced by anthropogenic formation, such as fossil fuels (gasoline, oil, coal), from poor quality aromatic candles, fireplaces, wood stoves, gas stoves, kerosene stoves and cigarette smoke. They enter the area through open windows, mainly in areas with a heavy-duty atmosphere or indoor garages.
It is mainly produced by incomplete combustion of stoves, cigarettes, fireplaces etc.
Indoor Air QualityEurofins Certification
The mandatory for all EU members European Directive (2004/42/EC) is limiting the total content (g/L) of VOCs in certain paints and varnishes and in vehicle refinishing products, with the goal to reduce VOC emissions and thus to limit the generation of ozone in lower atmosphere. Nevertheless, the VOC content (g/L) is not correlated at all with in-use emissions (μg/m3) that are measured either mandatorily through national regulations for countries that have already enacted a specific norm or voluntarily.
Hazardous chemicals may form part of a product without posing any harm if they do not leave the product at any time, but they may lead to significant health risks when a significant volume is set free. Determination of release into surrounding indoor air is the issue of emission testing.
Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort certification provides assurance that all product-related health criteria for product emissions have been adequately met.
The voluntary, due to the lack of a pan-European scheme, Eurofins “Indoor Air Comfort” (IAC) product certification is an innovative tool to show compliance of a product with low VOC emissions criteria set out in Europe covering also the following VOC requirements:
- Belgian regulation – Royal Decree
- French VOC label
- French CMR components
- German regulation, AgBB and ABG requirements
These requirements have different criteria and limit values, and different testing methods. The Eurofins Indoor Air Comfort certification program combines all relevant European regulations on VOC emissions. It puts together the most stringent requirements into a single label. A product labeled with Indoor Air Comfort will comply with the limit values as defined by any regulation across Europe.
Indoor Air Comfort (IAC)Specification Limits
It is a reassuring symbol of a manufacturer’s commitment to product quality and their contribution to a healthy indoor environment.
| Version 6.0 of February 2017 | Test after 3 days | Test after 28 days |
| Limit Value (μg/m3) | Limit Value (μg/m3) | |
| TVOC (CEN/TS 16516) | ≤ 10000 | ≤ 1000 |
| TSVOC | —– | ≤ 100 |
| RD –value(NIK) dimensionless | —– | ≤ 1 |
| RB – value (LCI) dimensionless | —– | ≤ 1 |
| TVOC without NIK or LCI | —– | ≤ 100 |
| Total carcinogens (C1A, C1B)* | ≤ 10 | —– |
| Any individual carcinogens (C1A, C1B)* | —– | ≤ 1 |
| CMR substances | —– | ≤ 1 |
| Formaldehyde | —– | ≤ 60 |
| Acetaldehyde | —– | ≤ 200 |
 |
—– | Complies |
*As far as detectable with CEN/TS 16516 / ISO 16000-3/-6 test methods
Eurofins Certification
“Indoor Air Comfort GOLD ®” accreditation collects all mandatory and voluntary requirements for Low Volatile Organic Compounds and the products that carry it are considered as “Best-In-Class” in terms of WTO emissions. It also covers all the following requirements for different types of materials:
- Belgian Legislation – Royal Decree
- French legislation on VOC emissions
- French legislation on CMR components
- German Legislation, AgBB and ABG
- Swedish Byggvarubedomningen
- EMICODE for flooring installation products
- GUT for textile floorings
- Several EU Ecolabel criteria
- Various Blue Angel criteria
- Various criteria of the Austrian Ecolabel
- LEED outside North America
- FEMB standard for sustainable office furniture
- BREEAM international • BREEAM NOR
- Italian Green Building Procurement (GPP) legislation
- M1
The following requirements provide for different criteria and limit values, as well as different test methods. Eurofins’ Indoor Air Comfort® and Indoor Air Comfort GOLD® certification programs combine all relevant European regulations regarding VOC emissions. They therefore collect the most stringent requirements in a single label and thus a product labeled “Indoor Air Comfort®” and “Indoor Air Comfort GOLD®” complies with the limit values set by any legislation or voluntary signal relating to VOC emissions throughout Europe.
Indoor Air Comfort (IAC) GoldSpecification Limits
| Version 6.0 of February 2017 | Test after 3 days | Test after 28 days |
| Limit Value (μg/m3) | Limit Value (μg/m3) | |
| TVOC (CEN/TS 16516) | ≤ 1000 | ≤ 100 |
| TSVOC | —– | ≤ 50 |
| RD –value(NIK) dimensionless | —– | ≤ 1 |
| RB – value (LCI) dimensionless | —– | ≤ 1 |
| TVOC without NIK or LCI | —– | ≤ 50 |
| Total carcinogens (C1A, C1B)* | ≤ 10 | —– |
| Any individual carcinogens (C1A, C1B)* | —– | ≤ 1 |
| CMR substances | —– | ≤ 1 |
| Formaldehyde | —– | ≤ 10 |
| Acetaldehyde | —– | ≤ 50 |
| |
—– | Complies |
*As far as detectable with CEN/TS 16516 / ISO 16000-3/-6 test methods
