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As explained in ECA report No 29 'Harmonisation framework for health based evaluation of indoor emissions from construction products in the European Union using the EU-LCI concept' (see documents & glossary page), the EU-LCI harmonisation process has led to the development of a detailed protocol for establishing a harmonised list of compounds and their associated EU-LCI values that takes into account existing procedures used in some EU countries. This procedure, based on sound toxicological and risk assessment principles, represents an appropriate health-protective, science-based and transparent yet pragmatic approach for the evaluation of chemical emissions from construction products.

A list of EU-LCI values has now been produced (see EU-LCI Values page).

Future revisions of the content of the EU-LCI list in terms of both the type and number of compounds included and their associated EU-LCI values are planned. Such procedure provides the possibility of taking into account new knowledge (e.g. data resulting from the REACH implementation process or compounds identified and suggested by EU country authorities).

The detailed protocol developed for the de novo derivation of EU-LCI values comprises the establishment of a data collection sheet and a summary fact sheet for each compound assessed. The data collection sheet contains all relevant toxicological data from different literature sources assimilated into one table. The summary fact sheet has a standardised format and ensures that the derivation of EU-LCI values is transparent. It comprises four main sections: a) general information, b) toxicological database (values derived from the data collection process), c) assessment factors, and d) the derivation of the EU-LCI value. At the end of the factsheet the rationale for the derivation of the EU-LCI is given. This succinctly explains/justifies the selection and use of key data in the derivation of the EU-LCI value, in particular the selection of the key study used to determine the point-of-departure value. It also, where necessary, explains/justifies the use of particular assessment factors, especially non-default factors. The protocol also provides guidance on applying a harmonised application of read-across and assessment factors in EU-LCI derivation. This whole process helps guarantee the fundamental principle of transparency.

The lists of EU-LCI values published on this website will be updated annually.

The EU-LCI concept

The LCI concept was originally developed by a group of leading European scientists as part of a basic scheme for the evaluation of VOC emissions from building products, and was published in 1997 in ECA report No.18.

It was recommended that 'lowest concentrations of interest' (LCI) should be derived on the basis of either air quality guideline values (AQG) or occupational exposure limits as auxiliary parameters for the assessment of the health risks resulting from exposure to chemicals emitted from building materials. The concept of LCI values was adopted and further developed/revised in the German AgBB scheme and in the French AFSSET (now ANSES) protocol for the health related evaluation of VOC emissions from building products.

The process of harmonising the health based evaluation of indoor emissions from construction products using the EU-LCI concept was kicked-off in Ispra in September 2010 with the ultimate objective to elaborate and establish a common European list of chemicals, identified via indoor air monitoring programs and emission testing of building products by EU countries, and their associated toxicological thresholds relevant to human health.

A flexible framework has been elaborated, consisting of several criteria on the basis of which the harmonised approach for the health based evaluation of chemical emissions from building products has been devised. Full details are in ECA report 29 (see documents & glossary page).

It is stressed that the EU-LCI values produced by the Subgroup on EU-LCI values are not to be considered as indoor air quality guidelines but are to be used only in the context of material emission testing.

Members of the subgroup

Former members of the subgroup