Translate chamber units, screen a lab number against REACH entry 77 / E1 / CARB, and see which test types cannot be converted. Family-level designations also live in the standards matrix.
Formaldehyde converter
Convert chamber units (ppm ↔ mg/m³), screen REACH / E1 / CARB limits, and identify which test families — JIS desiccator, EN 717-3 flask, gas analysis, perforator — cannot be treated as chamber equivalents.
Steady-state chamber air concentration — EN 717-1, ISO 12460-1, EN 16516, REACH Appendix 14. Preferred European chamber method for wood-based panels (EN 13986); widely accepted for REACH entry 77 Appendix 14 panel testing.
Related standards: EN 717-1 · ISO 12460-1 · EN 16516
Chamber unit conversion
mg/m³
0.062
ppm
0.05
Exact unit transform uses 1 ppm ≈ 1.24 mg/m³ at 23 °C / 1013 hPa.
Input treated as EN 717-1 / ISO 12460-1 family; estimated EN 16516 band shown for comparison only.
Estimated EN 16516 band: 0.074–0.081 mg/m³. Industry and lab comparisons often find EN 16516 chamber results about 20–30% higher than EN 717-1 on the same wood-based panel because of chamber loading and air-exchange differences. Use the range as a screening aid only.
Screen against common limits
REACH entry 77 — wood-based articles & furniture
≤ 0.062 mg/m³ · from 2026-08-06
Within limit
REACH entry 77 — other articles
≤ 0.08 mg/m³ · from 2026-08-06
Within limit
EN 13986 E1
≤ 0.124 mg/m³ · ≤ 0.1 ppm
Within limit
CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI — hardwood plywood
≤ 0.062 mg/m³ · ≤ 0.05 ppm
Within limit
CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI — particleboard
≤ 0.09 ppm
Within limit
CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI — MDF
≤ 0.11 ppm
Within limit
REACH Annex XVII entry 77 (from 6 Aug 2026)
Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1464 adds formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasers as entry 77.
Wood-based articles and furniture: ≤ 0.062 mg/m³ under Appendix 14 chamber conditions.
Other articles: ≤ 0.080 mg/m³ under the same Appendix 14 framework.
For wood-based panels, EN 717-1 is the preferred / widely accepted method matching Appendix 14; EN 16516 is also permitted but often reads higher.
JIS A 1460 desiccator F☆ grades, EN 717-3 flask, EN 717-2 gas analysis, and EN 120 perforator are useful QC / classification tools — they do not by themselves demonstrate Appendix 14 chamber compliance.
Ask for an EN 717-1 (or explicitly agreed Appendix 14) report from an accredited lab, batch reference, and a written entry-77 statement on EU-bound shipments after the effective date.
Formaldehyde “tests” are several different experiments. Only chamber concentrations share a simple unit conversion; everything else needs the named standard — and often a factory correlation — before it can stand in for a regulatory chamber limit.
Measures steady-state formaldehyde concentration in chamber air (mg/m³ or ppm) under controlled temperature, humidity, loading, and air exchange — the usual regulatory reference for REACH, EN 13986 E1, and CARB / TSCA Title VI.
EN 717-1
Unit-convertible (ppm ↔ mg/m³)
Also: ISO 12460-1 (1 m³ reference concept) · European chamber
Result unit
mg/m³ (also quoted as ≈ ppm)
Duration
Typically days to steady state (often up to ~10–28 days depending on setup)
Steady-state formaldehyde concentration in a climate chamber under defined loading, temperature, humidity, and air exchange.
Typical use: Reference method for EN 13986 E1/E2 classification; preferred chamber method for wood-based panels under REACH entry 77 guidance.
Chamber options include large, 1 m³, and smaller volumes with specified conditions. This is emission into air — not content.
International 1 m³ chamber reference for formaldehyde emission from wood-based panels.
Typical use: International reference; factory methods (gas analysis, desiccator, perforator, flask) are treated as derived methods that need correlation.
ISO 12460 family also includes small chamber (Part 2), gas analysis (Part 3), desiccator (Part 4), and perforator (Part 5).
Also: Japanese small chamber · JIS A 1911 (related)
Result unit
µg/(m²·h) or chamber concentration (report-dependent)
Duration
Small-chamber protocol (method-defined)
Emission of VOCs and aldehydes from building products in a small chamber — Japan’s chamber-side method family.
Typical use: Japanese building-product emission testing; complementary to desiccator F☆ classification, not a substitute for reading the F☆ stamp alone.
Do not confuse JIS A 1901 (chamber) with JIS A 1460 (desiccator). F☆ grades on plywood stamps are usually desiccator-based.
REACH entry 77 — wood-based articles & furnitureEU REACH Annex XVII · from 2026-08-06
0.062 mg/m³
Appendix 14 chamber conditions (EN 717-1 preferred for panels; EN 16516 also permitted) Applies after 6 August 2026. Roughly half of EN 13986 E1. JIS desiccator, EN 717-3 flask, gas analysis, and perforator reports do not by themselves prove this limit. Source ↗
REACH entry 77 — other articlesEU REACH Annex XVII · from 2026-08-06
0.08 mg/m³
Appendix 14 chamber conditions Non-wood articles (textiles, leather, polymers, etc.). Do not confuse with the 0.062 wood/furniture ceiling. Source ↗
EN 13986 E1EU construction panels
0.124 mg/m³ · 0.1 ppm
EN 717-1 chamber (derived gas-analysis / perforator routes exist for FPC) Chamber class for many CE-marked panels. Factory gas analysis or perforator values may support FPC only with demonstrated correlation — they are not a free substitute for a chamber report when the customer asks for EN 717-1. Source ↗
CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI — hardwood plywoodUnited States
0.062 mg/m³ · 0.05 ppm
ASTM E1333 (or approved small-chamber / derived QC methods) Legal unit is 0.05 ppm. mg/m³ uses the 1.24 factor for comparison only. Derived QC methods (including some desiccator / gas analysis paths) require TPC-approved correlation. Source ↗
CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI — particleboardUnited States
0.09 ppm
ASTM E1333 Different product class — RFQ literacy only. Source ↗
CARB Phase 2 / TSCA Title VI — MDFUnited States
0.11 ppm
ASTM E1333 Different product class — RFQ literacy only. Source ↗
JIS / JAS F☆☆☆☆Japan
0.3 mg/L
JIS A 1460 desiccator (average) Desiccator mg/L class. Distinct from JIS A 1901 chamber testing. Do not convert to REACH / E1 chamber mg/m³ with a pocket factor. Source ↗
JIS / JAS F☆☆☆Japan
0.5 mg/L
JIS A 1460 desiccator (average) Next desiccator band above F☆☆☆☆. Source ↗
No. EN 13986 E1 is ≤0.124 mg/m³ by EN 717-1. REACH Annex XVII entry 77 sets ≤0.062 mg/m³ for wood-based articles and furniture under Appendix 14 conditions from 6 August 2026. A panel can be E1 and still fail entry 77.
What is the JIS method for formaldehyde — desiccator or chamber?
Both exist. JIS A 1460 is the desiccator method (mg/L, 24 h) that underpins F☆☆ / F☆☆☆ / F☆☆☆☆ grades commonly seen on stamps. JIS A 1901 is a separate small-chamber method for VOC/aldehyde emissions from building products. Do not treat a F☆ desiccator class as a converted REACH chamber result.
What does EN 717-3 (flask method) measure?
EN 717-3 suspends uncoated panel pieces over water in a closed flask at 40 °C for 3 hours and reports formaldehyde in the water as mg/kg dry board. It is an internal QC tool with no official EN 13986 / REACH class limit. It is not interchangeable with EN 717-1 chamber mg/m³.
Can I convert JAS F☆☆☆☆ (mg/L) into REACH mg/m³?
Not with a universal factor. Desiccator (JIS A 1460 / ISO 12460-4) and ventilated chamber methods measure different things. Use F☆ bands for Japanese class literacy, and request EN 717-1 (or the method named in the PO) for EU / US chamber limits.
Why does EN 16516 sometimes fail when EN 717-1 passes?
EN 16516 often reads about 20–30% higher than EN 717-1 on the same wood-based panel because of chamber parameters. Near the 0.062 mg/m³ REACH ceiling, method choice can change the pass/fail call — prefer the method your customer and counsel specify.
Are gas analysis and perforator results useless?
No — they are valuable factory production-control tools (EN 717-2 / ISO 12460-3 gas analysis; EN 120 / ISO 12460-5 perforator). They can support compliance programmes only when a product-specific correlation to the chamber reference is demonstrated. They are not pocket converters to REACH or CARB chamber limits.
Complete methods & limits tables
Reference only — not a substitute for accredited lab reports or legal advice. ppm ↔ mg/m³ is a unit transform at 23 °C. EN 16516 ↔ EN 717-1 is an approximate screening factor only. Desiccator (JIS A 1460 / ISO 12460-4 / ASTM D5582), flask (EN 717-3), gas analysis (EN 717-2 / ISO 12460-3), and perforator (EN 120 / ISO 12460-5) results are not interchangeable with chamber limits without a demonstrated product-specific factory correlation — never treat them as a legal equivalence.
Test methods
Formaldehyde test methods by family, unit, and convertibility
Method
Family
Unit
vs chamber
EN 717-1Steady-state formaldehyde concentration in a climate chamber under defined loading, temperature, humidity, and air exchange.
chamber
mg/m³ (also quoted as ≈ ppm)
exact unitChamber options include large, 1 m³, and smaller volumes with specified conditions. This is emission into air — not content.
ISO 12460-1International 1 m³ chamber reference for formaldehyde emission from wood-based panels.
chamber
mg/m³
exact unitISO 12460 family also includes small chamber (Part 2), gas analysis (Part 3), desiccator (Part 4), and perforator (Part 5).
EN 16516Emissions into indoor air from construction products under EN 16516 reference conditions.
chamber
mg/m³
approximate factorOn wood-based panels, EN 16516 often reads ~20–30% higher than EN 717-1 — method choice can flip a near-limit pass/fail.
ASTM E1333Large-chamber formaldehyde concentration for wood products — foundation of CARB / TSCA Title VI compliance testing.
chamber
ppm
exact unitLegal US limits are in ppm under this method family. Converted mg/m³ is literacy only.
ASTM D6007Small-scale chamber concentration used as an approved alternative / QC path relative to ASTM E1333 when correlation rules are met.
chamber
ppm
factory correlation onlyTreated as a chamber method, but substitution for E1333 depends on demonstrated equivalence / approval — not a free conversion.
JIS A 1901Emission of VOCs and aldehydes from building products in a small chamber — Japan’s chamber-side method family.
chamber
µg/(m²·h) or chamber concentration (report-dependent)
factory correlation onlyDo not confuse JIS A 1901 (chamber) with JIS A 1460 (desiccator). F☆ grades on plywood stamps are usually desiccator-based.
EN 717-2 / EN ISO 12460-3Accelerated formaldehyde release rate from a specimen in a heated chamber with controlled airflow through absorbers.
gas_analysis
mg/(m²·h)
factory correlation onlyAn emission rate, not a room-air concentration. EN 13986 historically cites gas-analysis thresholds for some panel types as derived criteria — still not a universal converter to REACH 0.062 mg/m³.
JIS A 1460Formaldehyde emitted from board specimens into a sealed desiccator and absorbed into a fixed volume of water; quantified photometrically (acetylacetone / Hantzsch).
desiccator
mg/L
factory correlation onlyVery high relative humidity inside the vessel — different mechanism from ventilated chambers. Average and maximum values may both appear on reports; F☆ limits are commonly on the average.
ISO 12460-4International desiccator method aligned with the Japanese approach for particleboard, fibreboard, plywood, OSB, and laminated flooring.
desiccator
mg/L
factory correlation onlySame family as JIS A 1460 — still not a REACH chamber proof by conversion.
ASTM D5582US desiccator method for formaldehyde from wood products — another closed-vessel absorption approach used in some QC contexts.
desiccator
ppm (desiccator scale) / method-defined
factory correlation onlyNot interchangeable with JIS A 1460 mg/L F☆ limits without care — units and apparatus differ.
EN 717-3Formaldehyde released from a known mass of uncoated panel pieces suspended over water in a closed flask; water is analysed photometrically.
flask
mg/kg dry board
neverStatic, short, high-temperature / high-humidity release test. No official market limit class is published for EN 717-3 the way E1 or F☆☆☆☆ are. Do not convert mg/kg flask values into mg/m³ chamber limits.
EN 120 / EN ISO 12460-5Formaldehyde extracted from the board with boiling toluene (content / potential), then transferred to water and quantified.
perforator
mg/100 g oven-dry board
factory correlation onlyContent ≠ emission. Literature correlations to EN 717-1 exist but are product-specific and unreliable for ultra-low emitting panels — do not use a pocket factor for REACH.
Limits
Formaldehyde emission reference limits by regime
Limit
Value
Method / notes
REACH entry 77 — wood-based articles & furniture
0.062 mg/m³From 2026-08-06
Appendix 14 chamber conditions (EN 717-1 preferred for panels; EN 16516 also permitted)
Applies after 6 August 2026. Roughly half of EN 13986 E1. JIS desiccator, EN 717-3 flask, gas analysis, and perforator reports do not by themselves prove this limit.
EN 717-1 chamber (derived gas-analysis / perforator routes exist for FPC)
Chamber class for many CE-marked panels. Factory gas analysis or perforator values may support FPC only with demonstrated correlation — they are not a free substitute for a chamber report when the customer asks for EN 717-1.
Legal unit is 0.05 ppm. mg/m³ uses the 1.24 factor for comparison only. Derived QC methods (including some desiccator / gas analysis paths) require TPC-approved correlation.
