Acronyms & Abbreviations

In our modern world it has become the norm to use abbreviations and acronyms and in the emission monitoring world it is no different. We have tried to compile a list that reflects usage within Europe. This list may not be exhaustive but will give a good indication of what is in use.

Quick Select

A

AAS - Atomic absorption spectroscopy

AFNOR - Association Francaise de Normalisation – French standardisation body

AFS - Atomic fluorescence spectrometry

AM - Alternative method

AMS - Automated Measuring System (see CEM), definition used within Europe

ANSI - American National Standards Institute.

AST - Annual surveillance test refer CEN standard EN14181

ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials - a professional organization that publishes standard methods and performance criteria often incorporated by reference in US EPA regulations and methods.

AWMA - USA Air and Waste Management Association - a professional organization that coordinates technical information dissemination on environmental issues through workshops, conferences, publications, and other outreach activities.

B

BAT - Best Available Techniques - Available techniques which are the best for preventing or minimising emissions and impacts on the environment.

BATAEL - Achievable Emission Level associated with application of the Best Available Techniques.

BATNEEC - Best available technique not entailing excessive cost (Useage now generally discontinued in European legislation in favour of BAT)

BREF - BAT reference document developed by European IPPC Bureau

BS - British Standard

BSI - British Standards Institute. UK standardisation body

C

CEMS - Continuous emission monitoring system - the equipment for the sampling, analysis, and data reduction of gaseous emissions measurements on a continuous basis.

CEN - Committee for European Standardization (ComitéEuropéen de Normalisation, EuropäischesKomiteefürNormung)

CENLEC - European committee for electrotechnical standardization

CFR - USA EPA code of federal regulations - codification of all Federal regulations divided by titles and parts. Title 40 contains essentially all of the environmental regulations.

COSHH - Control of substances hazardous to health

CPM - Condensable particulate matter as measured for example with USA Method 202 involving analysis of back half of USA Method 5 or 17 sampling train.

CRM - Certified reference material - an audit material, usually calibration gas certified by the National Institute accredited organisation.

CVAAS - Cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy - analytical technique for mercury and other metal ions.

D

DEFRA - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

DIN - Deutsches Institutfür Normung (the German institute for standardization)

DIS - Draft international standard

DMPDA - Dimethyl phenylenediamine

DOAS - Differential optical absorption spectroscopy

DSEAR - Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations

E

EA - Environment Agency responsible for England

EEA - European Environment Agency

EC - European Commission

ECD - Electron capture detector - analytical technique used in gas chromatography.

EDAX - Energy dispersive analysis by X-rays

ELCD - Electro-conductivity detector (Hall detector) - analytical technique used in gas chromatography.

ELV - Emission limit value

EMEP - Cooperative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe

EMTIC - USA Emission Measurement Technical Information Centre - the information centre in USA EPA responsible for providing guidance and technical assistance for stationary source emission test methods.

EN - European standard

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency, U. S. Government.

EPR - Environmental permit regulation

E-PRTR - European pollutant release and transfer register

EPRI - USA Electric Power Research Institute - research organization representing the utility industry interests.

ETO - Ethylene oxide.

ETS - Emissions Trading Scheme

ETSI - European Telecommunications Standards Institute

ETV - Environmental technology verification programme (USA)

EU - European Union

F

FDIS - Final draft international standard

FGD - Flue gas desulfurization – SOx emission control device often used at fossil fuel fired power plants.

FID - Flame-ionisation detector

FPD - Flame-photometric detector

FSD - Full-scale deflection

FTIR - Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

G

GC - Gas chromatography.

GC-FPD - Gas chromatography-flame photometric detection

GC-MS - Gas chromatography – mass spectrometry

GFAA(S) - Graphite furnace atomic absorption (spectroscopy) - analytical method for metal ions.

GFC - Gas filter correlation - analytical technique usually applied in the IR for TRS.

H

HPLC - High performance liquid chromatography.

HRGC/ HRMS - High resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry - highly sensitive analytical technique for dioxin and furans.

HSE - Health and Safety Executive

HWI - Hazardous waste incinerator, refer WID.

I

IC - Ion chromatography

ICAP - Inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectroscopy

ICE - Internal combustion engine.

ICP - Inductively coupled plasma (spectroscopy)

ICPCR - Ion chromatography with a post column reactor - analytical technique specifically for hexavalent chromium.

IED - Industrial emissions directive

IMS - Ion mobility spectrometry

IPA - Isopropyl alcohol

IPC - Integrated pollution control

IPPC - Integrated pollution prevention and control

IR - Infrared

ISC - Intersociety Committee

ISE - Ion-selective electrode

ISO - International Standards Organisation

iTEQ - International toxic equivalent quantity

J

JRC - European Joint Research Centre

L

LAAPC - Local authority air pollution control

LAQM - Local air quality management

LAU - Environment Agency Local Authority Unit.

LCPD - Large combustion plant directive

LOD - Limit of detection

LTRAP - Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution}

M

MCERTS - The Environment Agency’s monitoring certification scheme

MCPD - Medium combustion plant directive

MDHS - Method for the Determination of Hazardous Substances

MID - Method implementation document – developed by EA and STA on how to apply standards in the UK.

MM5 - USA Modified Method 5 - extractive adsorbing emission sampling train for the measurement of volatile organic compounds, usually toxic or hazardous compounds, with boiling points over about 130oC.

MS - Mass spectrometry

MSW - Municipal solid waste

MWC - Municipal waste combustor.

MWI - Medical waste incinerator or municipal waste incinerator, refer to WID.

N

NDIR - Non-dispersive infrared spectrometry

NDUV - Non-dispersive ultraviolet spectrometry

NECD - National Emission Ceilings Directive

NEN - Netherlands standardisation institute

NIOSH - National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (USA)

NIST - USA National Institute for Standards and Technology –US Federal organization responsible for evaluating and setting performance and design standards for measurements (formerly NBS).

NMOC - Non-methane organic compounds organic compounds other than methane.

NMVOCs - Non-methane volatile organic compounds

NOx - Oxides of nitrogen – by convention taken to be the sum of NO and NO2 (excluding N2O and other nitrogen oxides).

NPL - UK National Physical Laboratory – the UK’s National Measurement Institute

O

OES - Optical emission spectroscopy

OMA - Operator monitoring assessment

OPM - Open path monitoring system (long path monitoring).

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration (USA)

OU - Odour units

P

PAHs - Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, also known as poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

PCBs - Polychlorinated biphenyls

PIC - Product of incomplete combustion.

PID - Photo-ionisation detector

PM - Particulate matter

PM10, PM2.5 - Particle fraction with diameter less than 10 µm or 2.5 µm

POM - Polycyclic organic matter - includes benzene and related compounds often in particulate form at ambient conditions.

PPC Regulations - Pollution prevention and control regulations

prEN - Draft European standard

PUF - Polyurethane foam

Q

QA - Quality assurance

QAL1 - Quality assurance level 1 – AMS as tested to the requirements CEN standard EN15267 or MCERTS CEM systems

QAL2 - Quality assurance level 2 – Calibration of an AMS in accordance with CEN standard EN14181

QAL3 - Quality assurance level 3 – On going performance of an AMS is accordance with CEN standard EN14181

QC - Quality control

R

ROG - Reactive organic gases.

Rsd - Relative standard deviation

RTP - Research Triangle Park, NC, USA - location for several USA EPA Program offices.

S

SCD - Sulphur chemiluminescence detector

SCR - Selective catalytic reduction – NOx control technique.

SD - Standard deviation

SED - Solvent emission directive

SEM - Scanning electron microscopy

Semi-VOST - Semi-volatile organic compounds sampling train - see MM5.

SEPA - Scottish Environment Protection Agency

SOx - Oxides of sulphur.

SRM - Standard reference method

SSP - Site-specific protocol

STA - Source Testing Association – Technical trade association representing companies with an interest in emission monitoring.

T

TC - Technical committee as referred to in standards organisations e.g. CEN

TCDD - Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin

TCDF - Tetrachlorodibenzofuran

TD - Thermal desorption

TDL - Tuneable diode laser

TE - Technical endorsement as referred to in MCERTS performance standard for personnel.

TEF - Toxic equivalent factor

TEOM - Tapered element oscillating microbalance

TEQ - Toxic equivalent quantity

TGN - Technical guidance note

THC - Total hydrocarbons

TPM - Total particulate matter

TRS - Total reduced sulphur

TSP - Total suspended particulate matter.

TVOC - Total volatile organic compound.

U

UKAS - United Kingdom Accreditation Service

US EPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency

US EPA CT - United States Environmental Protection Agency Conditional Test

UV - Ultraviolet

UV-DOAS - Ultraviolet dual optical absorption spectrometry.

V

VDI - Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (German national standards body)

VOC - Volatile organic compound

VOST - Volatile organic sampling train - extractive adsorbing emission sampling train for the measurement of volatile organic compounds, usually toxic or hazardous compounds, with boiling points up to about 130oC. Analysis of sample is by GC/MS

W

WG - Working group as referred to in standards organisations e.g. CEN

WHO - World Health Organisation

WHO-TEQ - World Health Organisation toxic equivalent quantity

WID - Waste incineration directive

X

XAD/ XAD-2 - Trade name for a polystyrene adsorbent resin

A

AAS - Atomic absorption spectroscopy

AFNOR - Association Francaise de Normalisation – French standardisation body

AFS - Atomic fluorescence spectrometry

AM - Alternative method

AMS - Automated Measuring System (see CEM), definition used within Europe

ANSI - American National Standards Institute.

AST - Annual surveillance test refer CEN standard EN14181

ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials - a professional organization that publishes standard methods and performance criteria often incorporated by reference in US EPA regulations and methods.

AWMA - USA Air and Waste Management Association - a professional organization that coordinates technical information dissemination on environmental issues through workshops, conferences, publications, and other outreach activities.

B

BAT - Best Available Techniques - Available techniques which are the best for preventing or minimising emissions and impacts on the environment.

BATAEL - Achievable Emission Level associated with application of the Best Available Techniques.

BATNEEC - Best available technique not entailing excessive cost (Useage now generally discontinued in European legislation in favour of BAT)

BREF - BAT reference document developed by European IPPC Bureau

BS - British Standard

BSI - British Standards Institute. UK standardisation body

C

CEMS - Continuous emission monitoring system - the equipment for the sampling, analysis, and data reduction of gaseous emissions measurements on a continuous basis.

CEN - Committee for European Standardization (ComitéEuropéen de Normalisation, EuropäischesKomiteefürNormung)

CENLEC - European committee for electrotechnical standardization

CFR - USA EPA code of federal regulations - codification of all Federal regulations divided by titles and parts. Title 40 contains essentially all of the environmental regulations.

COSHH - Control of substances hazardous to health

CPM - Condensable particulate matter as measured for example with USA Method 202 involving analysis of back half of USA Method 5 or 17 sampling train.

CRM - Certified reference material - an audit material, usually calibration gas certified by the National Institute accredited organisation.

CVAAS - Cold vapour atomic absorption spectroscopy - analytical technique for mercury and other metal ions.

D

DEFRA - Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

DIN - Deutsches Institutfür Normung (the German institute for standardization)

DIS - Draft international standard

DMPDA - Dimethyl phenylenediamine

DOAS - Differential optical absorption spectroscopy

DSEAR - Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations

E

EA - Environment Agency responsible for England

EEA - European Environment Agency

EC - European Commission

ECD - Electron capture detector - analytical technique used in gas chromatography.

EDAX - Energy dispersive analysis by X-rays

ELCD - Electro-conductivity detector (Hall detector) - analytical technique used in gas chromatography.

ELV - Emission limit value

EMEP - Cooperative programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-range transmission of air pollutants in Europe

EMTIC - USA Emission Measurement Technical Information Centre - the information centre in USA EPA responsible for providing guidance and technical assistance for stationary source emission test methods.

EN - European standard

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency, U. S. Government.

EPR - Environmental permit regulation

E-PRTR - European pollutant release and transfer register

EPRI - USA Electric Power Research Institute - research organization representing the utility industry interests.

ETO - Ethylene oxide.

ETS - Emissions Trading Scheme

ETSI - European Telecommunications Standards Institute

ETV - Environmental technology verification programme (USA)

EU - European Union

F

FDIS - Final draft international standard

FGD - Flue gas desulfurization – SOx emission control device often used at fossil fuel fired power plants.

FID - Flame-ionisation detector

FPD - Flame-photometric detector

FSD - Full-scale deflection

FTIR - Fourier transform infrared spectrometry

G

GC - Gas chromatography.

GC-FPD - Gas chromatography-flame photometric detection

GC-MS - Gas chromatography – mass spectrometry

GFAA(S) - Graphite furnace atomic absorption (spectroscopy) - analytical method for metal ions.

GFC - Gas filter correlation - analytical technique usually applied in the IR for TRS.

H

HPLC - High performance liquid chromatography.

HRGC/ HRMS - High resolution gas chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry - highly sensitive analytical technique for dioxin and furans.

HSE - Health and Safety Executive

HWI - Hazardous waste incinerator, refer WID.

I

IC - Ion chromatography

ICAP - Inductively coupled argon plasma emission spectroscopy

ICE - Internal combustion engine.

ICP - Inductively coupled plasma (spectroscopy)

ICPCR - Ion chromatography with a post column reactor - analytical technique specifically for hexavalent chromium.

IED - Industrial emissions directive

IMS - Ion mobility spectrometry

IPA - Isopropyl alcohol

IPC - Integrated pollution control

IPPC - Integrated pollution prevention and control

IR - Infrared

ISC - Intersociety Committee

ISE - Ion-selective electrode

ISO - International Standards Organisation

iTEQ - International toxic equivalent quantity

J

JRC - European Joint Research Centre

L

LAAPC - Local authority air pollution control

LAQM - Local air quality management

LAU - Environment Agency Local Authority Unit.

LCPD - Large combustion plant directive

LOD - Limit of detection

LTRAP - Convention on long-range transboundary air pollution}

M

MCERTS - The Environment Agency’s monitoring certification scheme

MCPD - Medium combustion plant directive

MDHS - Method for the Determination of Hazardous Substances

MID - Method implementation document – developed by EA and STA on how to apply standards in the UK.

MM5 - USA Modified Method 5 - extractive adsorbing emission sampling train for the measurement of volatile organic compounds, usually toxic or hazardous compounds, with boiling points over about 130oC.

MS - Mass spectrometry

MSW - Municipal solid waste

MWC - Municipal waste combustor.

MWI - Medical waste incinerator or municipal waste incinerator, refer to WID.

N

NDIR - Non-dispersive infrared spectrometry

NDUV - Non-dispersive ultraviolet spectrometry

NECD - National Emission Ceilings Directive

NEN - Netherlands standardisation institute

NIOSH - National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (USA)

NIST - USA National Institute for Standards and Technology –US Federal organization responsible for evaluating and setting performance and design standards for measurements (formerly NBS).

NMOC - Non-methane organic compounds organic compounds other than methane.

NMVOCs - Non-methane volatile organic compounds

NOx - Oxides of nitrogen – by convention taken to be the sum of NO and NO2 (excluding N2O and other nitrogen oxides).

NPL - UK National Physical Laboratory – the UK’s National Measurement Institute

O

OES - Optical emission spectroscopy

OMA - Operator monitoring assessment

OPM - Open path monitoring system (long path monitoring).

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration (USA)

OU - Odour units

P

PAHs - Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, also known as poly-aromatic hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

PCBs - Polychlorinated biphenyls

PIC - Product of incomplete combustion.

PID - Photo-ionisation detector

PM - Particulate matter

PM10, PM2.5 - Particle fraction with diameter less than 10 µm or 2.5 µm

POM - Polycyclic organic matter - includes benzene and related compounds often in particulate form at ambient conditions.

PPC Regulations - Pollution prevention and control regulations

prEN - Draft European standard

PUF - Polyurethane foam

Q

QA - Quality assurance

QAL1 - Quality assurance level 1 – AMS as tested to the requirements CEN standard EN15267 or MCERTS CEM systems

QAL2 - Quality assurance level 2 – Calibration of an AMS in accordance with CEN standard EN14181

QAL3 - Quality assurance level 3 – On going performance of an AMS is accordance with CEN standard EN14181

QC - Quality control

R

ROG - Reactive organic gases.

Rsd - Relative standard deviation

RTP - Research Triangle Park, NC, USA - location for several USA EPA Program offices.

S

SCD - Sulphur chemiluminescence detector

SCR - Selective catalytic reduction – NOx control technique.

SD - Standard deviation

SED - Solvent emission directive

SEM - Scanning electron microscopy

Semi-VOST - Semi-volatile organic compounds sampling train - see MM5.

SEPA - Scottish Environment Protection Agency

SOx - Oxides of sulphur.

SRM - Standard reference method

SSP - Site-specific protocol

STA - Source Testing Association – Technical trade association representing companies with an interest in emission monitoring.

T

TC - Technical committee as referred to in standards organisations e.g. CEN

TCDD - Tetrachlorodibenzodioxin

TCDF - Tetrachlorodibenzofuran

TD - Thermal desorption

TDL - Tuneable diode laser

TE - Technical endorsement as referred to in MCERTS performance standard for personnel.

TEF - Toxic equivalent factor

TEOM - Tapered element oscillating microbalance

TEQ - Toxic equivalent quantity

TGN - Technical guidance note

THC - Total hydrocarbons

TPM - Total particulate matter

TRS - Total reduced sulphur

TSP - Total suspended particulate matter.

TVOC - Total volatile organic compound.

U

UKAS - United Kingdom Accreditation Service

US EPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency

US EPA CT - United States Environmental Protection Agency Conditional Test

UV - Ultraviolet

UV-DOAS - Ultraviolet dual optical absorption spectrometry.

V

VDI - Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (German national standards body)

VOC - Volatile organic compound

VOST - Volatile organic sampling train - extractive adsorbing emission sampling train for the measurement of volatile organic compounds, usually toxic or hazardous compounds, with boiling points up to about 130oC. Analysis of sample is by GC/MS

W

WG - Working group as referred to in standards organisations e.g. CEN

WHO - World Health Organisation

WHO-TEQ - World Health Organisation toxic equivalent quantity

WID - Waste incineration directive

X

XAD/ XAD-2 - Trade name for a polystyrene adsorbent resin

We only use data that is required for the basic functionality of this website, if you continue to use this website you agree to this use. For more information see our privacy policy.