Index:  A-D  E-H  I-L  M-P  Q-T  U-Z 

ACGHI - American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists

AC - Air Conditioning; Alternating Current

ACH - Air changes per hour

ACM - Asbestos Containing Material

AHU - Air Handling Unit

AIDS - Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

AIHA - American Industrial Hygiene Association

APHA - American Public Health Association

APWA - American Public Works Association

ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-conditioning Engineers

ASTM - American Society for Testing Materials

A_w - Water Activity

AWG - American Wire Gauge

AWWA - American Water Works Association

BAQ - Building Air Quality

BMP - Best Management Practice

BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand

BP - Boiling Point

BRI - Building Related Illness

BRS - Building Related Symptom

BTU - British Thermal Unit

CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

cfm - Cubic Feet per Minute

CFR - Code of Federal Regulations

CFU - Colony Forming Units

CIE - Certified Indoor Environmentalist (IAQA)

CIH - Certified Indoor Hygienist (AIHA)

CPSC - Consumer Products Safety Commission

CWA - Clean Water Act

db - Dry Bulb

dp - Dew Point

DNA - Deoxyribonucleic Acid

DNase - Deoxyribonuclease

E-H [Return to Index]

EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment

ELISA - Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay

EMF - Electromagnetic Force

EMLAP - Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program

EPA - Environmental Protection Agency

EPCRA - Emergency Planning & Community Right to Know Act

ERH - Equilibrium Relative Humidity

ETS - Environmental Tobacco Smoke

FDA - Food and Drug Administration

FEMA - Federal Emergency Management Agency

FIFRA - Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodentcide Act

FTC - Federal Trade Commission

GC - Gas Chromatograph

GC/MS - Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer

GNB - Gram Negative Bacteria

GPB - Gram Positive Bacteria

HAZMAT - Hazardous Materials

HEPA - High Efficiency Particulate Air

HIV - Human Immunodeficiency Virus

HP - Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

HPLC - High Performance Liquid Chromatograph

HUD - Housing and Urban Development

HVAC - Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

I-L  [Return to Index]

IAQA - Indoor Air Quality Association

ICC - International Code Council

ID₅₀ - Infectious Dose (50% Population)

IEQ - Indoor Environmental Quality

IgE - Immunoglobulin E (similar for IgA, IgG, IgM, etc.)

IH - Industrial Hygienist

IICRC - Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification

IP - Inhalable Particles

IPM - Inhalable Particulate Matter

IRC - International Residential Code

ISO - International Standards Organization

LEL - Lower Explosive Limit

LD₅₀ - Lethal Dose (50% Population)

LDL - Lower Detection Limit

M-P  [Return to Index]

MCL - Maximum Contaminant Level

MCLG - Maximum Contaminant Level Goal

MCS - Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

MDF - Medium Density Fiberboard

MEA - Malt Extract Agar

MSDS - Material Safety Data Sheet

MVOC - Microbial Volatile Organic Compound

NADCA - National Air Duct Cleaning Association

NAS - National Academy of Sciences

NEC - National Electrical Code (by NFPA)

NFPA - National Fire Protection Association

NIEHS - National Institute for Environmental Health Services

NIH - National Institute of Health

NIOSH - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

NOAA - National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency

NOEL - No Observable Effect Level

NPDES - National Pollution Discharge Elimination System

NTIS - National Technical Information Service

OSHA - Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OTDS - Organic Toxic Dust Syndrome

PAH - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

PCB - Polychlorinated Biphenyls

pCi - Picocurie

PCM - Phase Contrast Microscopy; Per Cubic Meter

PCR - Polymerase Chain Reaction

PEL - Permissible Exposure Level

PID - Photo-ionization Detector

PM - Particulate Matter

PM_2.5 - Particulate Matter (2.5 micron and less)

PM₁₀ - Particulate Matter (10 micron and less)

PNA - Polynuclear Aromatics

ppb - Parts per Billion

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

ppm - Parts per Million

ppt - Parts per Trillion

psi - Pounds per Square Inch

PUC - Public Utility Commission

PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride

Q-T  [Return to Index]

RA - Return Air

RAD - Radiation Absorbed Dose

RAST - Radio-allergosorbent Test

RCRA - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

REM - Roentgen Equivalent Man

RH - Relative Humidity

RNA - Ribonucleic Acid

RNase - Ribonuclease

RODAC - Replicate Organism Detection and Counting

SBS - Sick Building Syndrome

SCBA - Self-contained Breathing Apparatus

SCFM - Standard Cubic Feet per Minute

SEM - Scanning Electron Microscope

SI - International System of Units

SIC - Standard Industrial Classification

SOW - Scope of Work

sp - Species (singular)

spp - Species (plural)

STEL - Short Term Exposure Limit

TD - Toxic Dose

TDS - Total Dissolved Solids

TEM - Transmission Electron Microscope

THC - Total Hydrocarbons

TLV - Threshold Limit Value

TLV-C - Threshold Limit Value, Ceiling

TLV-STEL - Threshold Limit Value, Short Term Exposure Limit

TLV-TWA - Threshold Limit Value, Time Weighted Average

TOC - Total Organic Carbon

TSA - Tryptic Soy Agar

TSCA - Toxic Substance Control Act

TVOC - Total Volatile Organic Compounds

TWA - Time Weighted Average

U-Z  [Return to Index]

UEL - Upper Explosive Limit

UL - Underwriters Laboratories; Upper Limit

USDA - U.S. Department of Agriculture

USP - U.S. Pharmacopeia

UST - Underground Storage Tank

UV - UltraViolet

UVA, UVB, UVC - Ultraviolet Radiation Bands

VOC - Volatile Organic Compound

VP - Vapor Pressure

VSS - Volatile Suspended Solids

wb - Wet Bulb

WHO - World Health Organization

WQS - Water Quality Standard

WWTP - Wastewater Treatment Plant