Glossary of Terms
WATER
E200.7
Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP – Analytical Method)
E200.8
Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS – Analytical Method)
E200.9
Stabilized Temperature Graphite Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy
(STGFAA – Analytical Method)
A
Standard Methods
ASTM
American Society for Testing & Materials
BOD
Biochemical Oxygen Demand
CaCO3
Calcium Carbonate
CO3
Carbonate
COD
Chemical Oxygen Demand
DBCP
1, 2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane
DOC
Dissolved Organic Carbon
EDB
Dibromoethane
E or EPA
US Environmental Protection Agency
GC/FID
Gas Chromatograph/Flame Ionization Detector
H2SO4
Sulfuric Acid
HCl
Hydrochloric Acid
HCO3
Bicarbonate
HNO3
Nitric Acid
ICP
Inductively Coupled Plasma
ICP-MS
Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrophotometer
MCL
Maximum Contaminant Level
MCLG
Maximum Contamination Level Goals
MDL
Method Detection Limit
NaOH
Sodium Hydroxide
NPDES
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NR
Not Regulated
NTU
Nephelometric Turbidity Units
OH
Hydroxide
PCBs
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
pCi/L
Picocuries per Liter
ppb
Parts per billion
ppm
Parts per million
PQLs
Practical Quantitation Limits
If the sample is contaminated, it may require dilution prior to analysis. The PQL of diluted samples will be correspondingly higher.
PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride
TDS
Total Dissolved Solids
TKN
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
TOC
Total Organic Carbon
TOX
Total Organic Halogens
TPH
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
TSS
Total Suspended Solids
VOA
Volatile Organic Analysis
VOCs
Volatile Organic Chemicals
VSS
Volatile Suspended Solids
WAD
Weak Acid Dissociable
The analytical methods listed above are typically referenced for drinking water and clean water regulations.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
A
Standard Methods
BTEX
Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes
CFR
Code of Federal Regulations
DBCP
1, 2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane
DRO
Diesel Range Organics
EDB
Dibromoethane
EOX
Extractable Organic Halogens
E or EPA
US Environmental Protection Agency
EPH
Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons
GC
Gas Chromatograph
GC/FID
Gas Chromatograph/Flame Ionization Detector
GC/MS
Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer
GRO
Gasoline Range Organics
H2SO4
Sulfuric Acid
HCl
Hydrochloric Acid
HPLC
High Performance Liquid Chromatography
IR
Infrared Spectroscopy
MCL
Maximum Contaminant Level
NaOH
Sodium Hydroxide
NH4CI
Ammonium Chloride
NR
Not Regulated
PAH
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
PCBs
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
POX
Purgeable Halocarbons
ppb
Parts per billion
ppm
Parts per million
PQLs
Practical Quantitation Limits
The PQL of diluted samples will be correspondingly higher.
PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride
SVOC
Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds
TCL
Target Compound List
TOC
Total Organic Carbon
TOX
Total Organic Halogens
TEPH
Total Extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons
TPH
Total Petroleum Hydorcarbons
TPH-D
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons as Diesel
TPH-G
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons as Gasoline
TPH-IR
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Infrared Spectroscopy
TRPH
Total Recoverable Petroleum Hydrocarbons
VOCs
Volatile Organic Chemicals
VPH
Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons
WASTES
SW 6010B
Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) (Analytical Method)
SW 6020
Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) (Analytical Method)
A
Standard Methods
AOAC
Association of Official Analytical Chemists
ASTM
American Society for Testing & Materials
BTEX
Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes
BTU
British Thermal Units
DRO
Diesel Range Organics
E or EPA
US Environmental Protection Agency
FLAA
Flame Atomic Absorption
GFAA
Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption
GRO
Gasoline Range Organics
ICP
Inductively Coupled Plasma
ICP-MS
Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry
NIOSH
National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health
PCBs
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
RCRA
Resource Conservation Recovery Act
SW
Solid Waste 846
TCLP
Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
TPH
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons
TPH-D
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons as Diesel
TPH-G
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons as Gasoline
TPH-IR
Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons – Infrared Spectroscopy
VOCs
Volatile Organic Chemicals
The analytical methods listed above are typically referenced for liquid and solid waste regulations.
RADIOCHEMISTRY
A
Standard Methods
ASTM
American Society for Testing & MaterialsE or EPA
US Environmental Protection Agency
HNO3
Nitric Acid
LAACC
Large Area Activated Charcoal Canister
NERHL
North Eastern Health Radiological Laboratory
NORM
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials
SW
Solid Waste – 846
TSP
Total Suspended Particulate
USNRC
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
AQUATIC TOXICITY
Terms and acronyms used in aquatic toxicity
The acute Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) test is short term, generally 4 days or less, usually with multiple concentrations. Mortality is the response measured.The chronic WET test runs for a longer period of time, generally 7 days but may be longer, measuring continuous long-term effects such as reproduction for the Ceriodaphnia dubia and growth in the fathead minnow. The chronic test also tests for mortality and may have multiple or single concentrations.
Test conditions and durations of the WET tests vary with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Methods and procedures used to test effluents are strictly defined by the EPA guidelines and Region VIII requirements.
TEST ORGANISMS
Ceriodaphnia dubia
A small invertibrate commonly known as a “water flea” and found throughout most of the aquatic world.
Pimephales promelas
More popularly known as the “fathead minnow” is widely distributed in North America.
Both animals are raised in-house to maintain a readily available source of healthy test organisms. These test organisms are used in Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) testing for both acute and chronic tests.
List of Acronyms
Acute
A stimulus that lasts a brief time. Acute aquatic toxicity tests last 48 hours for Ceriodaphnia dubia and 96 hours for fathead minnows. Mortality is the response measured.
Bioassay
A test used to evaluate the relative potency of a chemical by comparing its affect on a living organism with respect to a “standard” control.
CO2
Carbon Dioxide
Chronic
A stimulus that lingers. In the case of the ceriodaphnia, the toxicity test continues until 3 broods are born in 60% of the control population. Average number of young is the response measured. Fathead minnow chronic tests last seven days. Growth weight is the response measured.
Composite Sample
Effluent water that is caught over a continuous period of recorded time by a trickle, or by use of an auto sampling device. It may also be a series of grab samples taken at recorded time internals and blended into a single sample.
Control
A treatment in a toxicity test that duplicates all the conditions of the exposure treatments but contains no test material.
Dilution Water
(diluent) Water used to dilute the test water in an aquatic toxicity test in order to prepare different percentages of an effluent. Can be reconstituted or receiving water.
Effluent
A liquid industrial discharge or sewage, which my be released to the environment.
Flow-Thru (system)
An exposure system for aquatic toxicity tests in which the test solutions and control water flow into and out of test chambers or flumes on a once-through basis either intermittently or continuously.
Grab Sample
Effluent or dilution water that is caught in the briefest possible time it takes to fill the rinsed container.
IC
Inhibition Concentration – A point estimation of the chemical concentration that would cause a given percent reduction (e.g. IC25) in a non-lethal biological measurement of the test organisms, such as reproduction or growth.
IC25
Inhibition Concentration – (Causes 25% reduction in reproduction of growth)
LC50
Lethal Concentration: 50% – The concentration of pollutant in water to which test organisms are exposed that is statistically or observably estimated to be lethal to 50% of the test organisms.
LOEC
Least Observable Effect Concentration – The lowest concentration in a dilution series having a statistically significant toxic effect (death, reduced fecundity, or curtailed growth) on an exposed population of test organisms when compared to the controls.
NOEC
No Observable Effect Concentration – The highest concentration of a pollutant in a toxicity test that has no statistically significant adverse effect (death, reduced fecundity, or curtailed growth) on the exposed population of test organisms when compared to the controls.
NPDES
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
Non-Renewal
Implies that once a toxicity test is set up, it remains undisturbed and unreplaced throughout its total time interval.
Receiving Water
(influent) This is the water that the industry/city obtains for its use before it is processed and becomes effluent.
Reconstituted Water
A water used in culturing and testing animals prepared with de-ionized water and reagent grade chemicals.
Renewal
Implies that the controls and dilution waters are replaced each 24 hours or a static toxicity test.
Screen Test
A preliminary test used to estimate the concentrations to be used in a real test or to observe consistency of an effluent on a routine basis. This test is available and priced according to requirements of the client.
Static (system)
An exposure system for aquatic toxicity tests in which the test chambers contain still solutions of test materials and controls. Tests are static renewal or static non-renewal.
T.C.P.
Toxicity Confirmation Procedures
T.I.E.
Toxicity Identification Evaluation
T.R.E.
Toxicity Reduction Evaluation
TU
Toxic Unit – A standard mechanism for quantifying whole effluent toxicity. The TU increases as toxicity increases. Acute Toxic Unit (TUa) is 100/LC50. Chronic Toxic Unit is 100/IC25 or 100/NOEC.
Toxicity Test
Determines the adverse toxic effects of a test material at a specific stimulus level or concentration using living organisms.
WET
Whole Effluent Toxicity
Zero Headspace
When a lid is placed on a container so that no airspace or air bubbles exist below it.
SOILS
ABDTPA
Ammonium Bicarbonate Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic Acid
ABP
Acid Base Potential
AGP
Acid Generating Potential
ASA
American Society of Agronomy
ASTM
American Society for Testing and Materials
Ca
Calcium
DEQ
Department of Environmental Quality
DTPA
Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic Acid
EC
Electrical Conductivity
E or EPA
US Environmental Protection Agency
HCl
Hydrochloric Acid
HNO3
Nitric Acid
ICP
Inductively Coupled Plasma
KCI
Potassium Chloride
Mg
Magnesium
N
Nitrogen
Na
Sodium
NaHCO3
Sodium Bicarbonate
NH4
Ammonia
NH4OAC
Ammonia Acetate
NO3
Nitrate
PSA
Particle Size Analysis
SAR
Sodium Adsorption Ratio
SSSA
Soil Science Society of America
TKN
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
USDA
US Department of Agriculture
WAD
Weak Acid Dissociable
OTHER SERVICES
AOAC
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists
API
American Petroleum Insitute
ASTM
American Society for Testing Materials
BS&W
Bottom Sediment and Water
BTEX
Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes
BTU
British Thermal Unit
E or EPA
US Environmental Protection Agency
GC
Gas Chromatograph
GC-FID
Gas Chromatograph Flame Ionization Detector
GC-PID
Gas Chromatograph Photo – Ionization Detector
GC/ECD
Gas Chromatograph / Electron Capture Detector
GC/FID
Gas Chromatograph/ Flame Ionization Detector
GC/MS
Gas Chromatograph / Mass Spectrometer
ICP
Inductivity Coupled Plasma
ICP-MS
Inductivity Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectrometry
LPG
Liquified Petroleum Gas
MA-VPH
Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Massachusetts Method
MCEF
Mixed Cellulose Ester Filter
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheets
NIOSH
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
OSHA
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
PAHs
Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons
PCM
Phase Contrast Microscopy
PCP
Pentachlorophenol
PLM
Polarized Light Microscopy
PM-10
Particulate Matter Less than 10 Microns in Diameter
PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride
QC
Quality Control
SKC
SKC Incorporated
SW or SW846
Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical & Chemical Methods
TDS
Total Dissolved Solids
TSP
Total Suspended Particles
UOP
Universal Oil Products Co.
VOA
Volatile Organic Analysis
VPH
Volatile Petroleum Hydrocarbons
XAD
Amerlite XADTM (Rohm & Haas)
