TS EN 16687

TS EN 16687 is a terminology standard for the assessment of the release of dangerous substances from, or contained in, construction products. Its role is to align the technical vocabulary used in the construction sector so that concepts such as release, content, and assessment are understood consistently across documentation and communication.

This standard is focused on definitions rather than on a test method or numerical limits. In the field of dangerous substances in construction products, the key distinction is between what a product contains and what may be released from it under relevant conditions. A shared terminology helps reduce ambiguity in regulatory work, product assessment, laboratory reporting, and technical specification writing.

Why the vocabulary matters in practice

Release-related terms are often used alongside concepts such as exposure, migration, emission, and content, but they do not mean the same thing. Depending on the product type and its intended use, the assessment focus may differ, so precise wording is important for comparing results and avoiding misinterpretation. A terminology document like this supports that common language without replacing the underlying assessment methods.

This TS EN 16687 edition was published from EN 16687:2015 and is now withdrawn. Even so, it remains useful as a conceptual reference for the language used around dangerous substances in construction products.