Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from laser printers and copiers can play a significant part in indoor air pollution. The most common emissions are aromatic hydrocarbons, and in some cases carcinogenic benzol. By using low-volatile toner, VOC pollution of office air can be considerably reduced.

As a guide for users, the LGA has formulated recommended levels for toner content and VOC emission rates. These values not only take into account volatile organic compounds (VOC), but also limit the content of certain heavy metals and other hazardous substances which may be a significant factor where there is direct contact with toner dust (e.g. by inhalation). In addition to this, the VOC emissions are measured. The test chamber procedure for this is identical with procedures used in awarding the environment label "Blue Angel" for printers, copiers and multifunctional devices (RAL-UZ 62, 85 and 114). If a toner complies with the stipulated values and a monitoring contract has been signed, the certificate "LGA-tested for harmful substances" can be awarded.

The certificate covers the various models of a printer family. The decisive criterion here is the printing performance, i.e. the toner certificate is valid for all printer models with printing performance equivalent to or lower than the model used in the test.