The following is a list of laboratory acronyms commonly used in environmental testing:

Acronym Definition
AA Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (aka AAS) instrument used to measure concentration of metals in samples
ACS American Chemical Society
APG Analytical Products Groups (manufacturer of PE Samples)
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
A2LA American Association for Laboratory Accreditation
BFB 4-Bromofluorobenzene
BNA Base Neutral Acid organic compounds (aka SOC or SVOCs)
BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand
BTEX/BETX Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes
CARB California Air Resources Board
CAS Number Chemical Abstract Service Registry Number
CCB Continuing Calibration Blank sample
CCC Continuing Calibration Check sample
CCV Continuing Calibration Verification sample
CFC Chlorofluorocarbon
CFU Colony-Forming Unit
CLP Contract Laboratory Program (through USEPA)
COC Chain-of-Custody
COD Chemical Oxygen Demand
DCM Dichloromethane (aka Methylene Chloride)
DEC Department of Environmental Conservation
DEQ Department of Environmental Quality
DHS Department of Health Services
DOE Department of Ecology (state or federal)
DOH Department of Health
EPA U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (aka USEPA)
EPCRA Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act
ERA Environmental Resource Associates
ELAP Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program
FAA Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry
FDA Food & Drug Administration
FIA Flow Injection Analysis
FID Flame Ionization Detector
FIFRA Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act
FR Federal Register
GAO General Accounting Office
GC Gas Chromatography
GC/MS Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry
GFAA Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
HECD/ELCE Hall Electrolytic Conductivity Detector
HP Hewlett-Packard (mfg. GC instruments)
HPLC High Pressure Liquid Chromatography
IC Ion Chromatography
ICB Initial Calibration Blank sample
ICP-AES Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (aka ICPAES)
ICP-MS Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
ICV Initial Calibration Verification sample
IFB Invitation for Bid
IR Infrared Spectrophotometer
LCS Laboratory Control Sample
LIMS Laboratory Information Management System
LUFT Leaking Underground Fuel Tank
MB Method Blank
M Modified
MCL Maximum Contaminant Level is the highest permissible concentration of a substance allowed in drinking water as established by the USEPA.
MDL Method Detection Limit
MPN Most Probable Number
MRL Method Reporting Limit
MS Matrix Spike
MUR Methods Update Rule
NA Not Applicable
NAN Not Analyzed
NAS National Academy of Sciences
NC Not Calculated
NCASI National Council for Air and Stream Improvement (for the paper industry)
NCI National Cancer Institute
ND Not Detected (at or above MRL)
NIH National Institute of Health
NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology
NPD Nitrogen Phosphorus Detector
NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NSF National Science Foundation
NTIS National Technical Information System
NTP National Toxicology Program
ORB Original Record Book (aka raw data books)
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PCBs Polychlorinated Biphenyls
PE Performance Evaluation sample
PID Photoionization Dectector
PQL Practical Quantitation Limit
PSE Pressurized Solvent Extraction
QA Quality Assurance
QC Quality Control
RAS Routine Analytical Services (contracts through USEPA)
RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
RFP Request for Proposal
RPD Relative Percent Difference
SAS Special Analytical Services (contracts through USEPA)
SIE Selective Ion Electrode
SIM Selected Ion Monitoring
SMO Sample Management Office (aka Sample Receiving)
SOC Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds
SOQ Statement of Qualifications
SOW Statement of Work
SVOAs Semi-Volatile Organic Analytes
SVOCs Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds
SW-846 Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods
TIC Tentatively Identified Compound
TOC Total Organic Carbon (test to determine organic content)
TOX Total Organic Halides (test to determine organic halide content)
TPH Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
tr Trace level in the concentration of an analyte that is less than the PQL but greater than or equal to the MDL
TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act
TSS Total Suspended Solids
UST Underground Storage Tank
UV Ultraviolet Spectrophotometer
VOA Volatile Organic Analyte
VOC Volatile Organic Compounds
WP Water Pollution
WS Water Supply
Units
mg/kg Milligrams per Kilogram (same as ppm)
mg/L Milligrams per Liter (same as ppm)
ug/L Micrograms per liter (same as ppb)
ppb Parts Per Billion
ppm Parts Per Million