ISO 12219-5:2014 specifies a chamber based, static headspace type method for measuring volatile organic compounds (VOCs), formaldehyde and other carbonyl compounds which may diffuse from vehicle interior unit components into the cabin air. The chamber emission test is intended to provide characteristic emission of unit component to car interior of assembly level emission. It also specifies the emission test chamber, preparation of the test specimen, connection of the vapour sampling devices and test conditions. This method is valid for new car interior unit components intended for vehicles, and can also be used for car interior unit components disassembled from assembly of car interior trim or used cars. A set of multi-unit components could be applicable according to the test purpose.

A dynamic mode operation of emission chamber could be applied if corroborative information of the unit component emission between this method and small chamber method (ISO12219-4:2013) is desired.

The specified analytical procedure for VOCs (ISO 16000-6) is valid for the determination of VOCs ranging in concentration from sub-µg/m³ to several mg/m³. The method is applicable to the measurement of non-polar and slightly polar VOCs ranging in volatility from n-C₆ to n-C₁₆. Some very volatile compounds (VVOC) and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) can also be analysed (see informative Annex D of ISO 16000-6:2011).

ISO 12219-5:2014 is complementary to existing standards and provides third party test laboratories and manufacturing industry with an approach for:

- comparing emissions from various unit components in assembly with regards to specific VOC emissions,

- evaluating and sorting specific unit components regarding specific VOC emissions data,

- providing specific VOC emissions data to develop and verify the correlation between a material-based method and an assembly-based method,

- evaluating prototype, "low-emission" unit components during development.