| AbfKlärV | Klärschlammverordnung | Sewage Sludge Order |
| Abl. | Amtsblatt | Official Journal |
| AbwAG | Abwasserabgabengesetz | Waste Water Charges Act |
| AbwHerkV | Abwasserherkunftsverordnung | Order Governing Origin of Waste Water |
| ACGIH | American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists | |
| AD | Air-Dry; if concentrations in wet material as soil, sludge, foodstuff or other organic material are stated without AD or DM (see below) added, then the value should refer to fresh matter | |
| ADI | Acceptable Daily Intake; kg refers to the weight of the exposed person | |
| AGS | Ausschuß für Gefahrenstoffe | Hazardous Substance Committee |
| AGU | Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Umweltfragen | Working Group on Environmental Aspects |
| AOX | Adsorbable organic halogen compounds | |
| A.Q.G. | WHO Air Quality Guidelines for Europe | |
| Arge Rhein | Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Länder zur Reinhaltung des Rheins | Laender Working Group for Maintaining Purity of Rhine |
| ARL | Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung | Academy of Space Research and Town/Country Planning |
| ARW | Arbeitsgemeinschaft Rhein-Wasserwerke | Rhine Waterworks Working Group |
| AtG | Atomgesetz | Atomic Energy Act |
| ATV | Abwassertechnische Vereinigung | Waste Water Association |
| BAS | Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz | German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health |
| BAT | Biologischer Arbeitsstoff-Toleranzwert | Tolerance value for biological working medium (limit value for concentrations in human body) |
| BBA | Biologische Bundesanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft | German Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry |
| BCF | Bioconcentration factor | |
| BFANL | Bundesforschungsanstalt für Naturschutz und Landschaftsökologie | German Federal Research Centre for Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology |
| BfG | Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde | German Federal Institute for Hydrology |
| BGA | Bundesgesundheitsamt | German Federal Health Office |
| BGB | Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch | German Civil Code |
| BGBl | Bundesgesetzblatt | German Federal Law Gazette |
| BIBIDAT | Trinkwasserqualitätsbank am Institut für Wasser-, Boden- und Lufthygiene des BGA | Drinking Water Quality Bank at the Institute of Water, Soil and Air Hygiene of the BGA |
| BLAU | Bund/Länder-Arbeitskreis Umweltchemikalien | Federal/Laender Working Party on Environmental Chemicals |
| BlmSchG | Bundes-Immissionsschutzgesetz | German Federal Immission Control Act |
| BlmSchV | Bundesimmissionsschutzverordnung | German Federal Ordinance on the Implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act |
| BMBau | Bundesminister für Raumordnung, Bauwesen und Städtebau | German Federal Ministry for Regional Planning, Building and Urban Development |
| BMFT | Bundesminister für Forschung und Technologie | German Federal Ministry for Research and Technology |
| BMI | Bundesministerium des Inneren | German Federal Ministry of the Interior |
| BMJFG | Bundesminister für Jugend, Familie und Gesundheit | German Federal Ministry for Youth, Family Affairs and Health |
| BML | Bundesminister für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Forsten | German Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry |
| BMU | Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit | German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety |
| BMV | Bundesministerium für Verkehr | German Federal Ministry of Transport |
| BNatSchG | Bundesnaturschutzgesetz | German Federal Nature Conservation Act |
| Bq | Bequerel | |
| BSB5 | Biochemical oxygen demand in 5 days (BOD) | |
| BT-DRs | Bundestag-Drucksache | Bundestag Publication |
| BUA | Beratungsgremium für umweltrelevante Altstoffe der Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker | Advisory Group on Environmentally-relevant Used Materials of Association of German Chemists |
| BUB | Bundesanstalt für Umweltschutz Bern | Federal Environment Protection Agency, Berne |
| BZB | Bacteria toxicity weighting coefficient | |
| BZF | Fish toxicity weighting coefficient | |
| BZS | Mammal toxicity weighting coefficient | |
| CEC | Commission of the European Communities | |
| ChemG | Chemikaliengesetz | Chemicals Law |
| CIPRA | Internationale Kommission für den Schutz Alpiner Bereiche | International Commission for Protection of Alpine Areas |
| CSB | Chemical oxygen demand (COD) | |
| D.W.Q.G | WHO Drinking Water Quality Guidelines | |
| DAL | Deutscher Arbeitsring für Lärmbekämpfung | German Working Group on Noise Abatement |
| dB(A) | Decibel according to weighting curve A | |
| DFG | Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft | German Research Foundation |
| DGE | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung | German Nutrition Association |
| DIMDI | Deutsches Institut für medizinische Dokumentation und Information | German Institute for Medical Documentation and Information |
| DIN | Deutsche Industrienorm; Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. | German Standard; German Institute for Standardisation e.V. |
| DM | Dry Matter; if concentrations in wet material as soil, sludge, foodstuff or other organic material are stated without DM or AD (see above) added, then the value should refer to fresh matter | |
| DOC | Dissolved organic carbon | |
| DTA | Tolerable daily intake | |
| DTV | Average daily traffic density | |
| DVGW | Deutscher Verein des Gas- und Wasserfachs | German Gas and Water Association |
| DVO | Durchführungsverordnung | Implementing Order |
| E | Inhabitants | |
| EC | European Community (Communities) | |
| EDV | Electronic data processing | |
| EIA | Environmental impact assessment | |
| EMEP | European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme | |
| EOX | Extractable organic halogen compounds | |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency (US) | |
| EPNdB | Effective perceived noise level | |
| EWG | Population equivalent | |
| f | Female | |
| FAO | Food and Agriculture Organisation (United Nations) | |
| FG | Moist weight | |
| FS | Moist matter, wet weight | |
| G | Guide value of official institute | |
| (G) | Guide value recommended by working group | |
| GDCh | Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker | Association of German Chemists |
| IAEA | International Atomic Energy Agency | |
| IAWR | Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wasserwerke im Rheineinzugsgebiet | International Waterworks Working Group in Rhine Catchment Area |
| IBRD | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development | |
| IGW | Immission limit value | |
| IIUG | Internationales Institut für Umwelt und Gesellschaft | International Institute for the Environment and Society |
| IMAB | Interministerielle Arbeitsgruppe Bodenschutz | Interministerial Working Group on Soil Conservation |
| IPS | Industrieverband Pflanzenschutz | Industrial Crop Protection Association |
| IRW | Immission guide value | |
| ISO | International Standards Organisation | |
| IW1 | Immission value stipulated in TA-Luft for sustained impact; average value for an area of usually 1 km2 | |
| IW2 | Immission value stipulated in TA-Luft for short-time impact; average value for an area of usually 1 km2 | |
| L | Legally stipulated limit value | |
| (L) | Probably legally stipulated limit value | |
| LAGA | Länderarbeitsgruppe Abfall | Laender Working Group on Solid Waste |
| LAI | Länderausschuß für Immissionsschutz | Laender Immission Control Committee |
| LAU-BW | Landesanstalt für Umweltschutz Baden-Württemberg | Baden-Wurttemberg Regional Environmental Protection Office |
| LAWA | Länderarbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser | Laender Working Group on Water |
| LC50 | Lethal concentration causing fatality amongst 50% of animals used for experiment | |
| LD50 | Lethal dose causing fatality amongst 50% of animals used for experiment | |
| LeitF.Bod.san. | Dutch Guidelines on Soil Rehabilitation 1988 | |
| LRV | Luftreinhalteverordnung of Switzerland | |
| m | Male | |
| MAK | Maximum workplace concentration | |
| max | Maximum | |
| MCL | Maximum contaminant level | |
| MGA | Minimum quality requirement | |
| MIK | Maximale Immissionskonzentration | Maximum immission concentration |
| MIKK | Maximale Immissionskonzentration | Maximum immission concentration; short-time exposure |
| MIKD | Maximale Immissionskonzentration | Maximum immission concentration; long-time exposure |
| MPC | Maximum permissible concentration | |
| MVA | Refuse incineration plant | |
| n | Number of random samples | |
| NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organisation | |
| NatSchG | Naturschutzgesetz | Nature Conservation Act |
| NEL | No-effect level | |
| NG | Wet weight | |
| NN | Sea level | |
| NOEL | No observable effect level | |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development | |
| ÖNM6250 | Österreichische Norm M6250 über die Anforderungen an die Beschaffenheit des Trinkwassers | Austrian Standard M6250 on Demands placed on Quality of Drinking Water |
| pH | Measure of degree of acidity | |
| RAL | Deutsches Institut für Gütesicherung und Kennzeichnung | German Institute for Quality Assurance and Product Marking |
| SAF | Rehabilitation requirement | |
| SchwQz | Schweizer Qualitätsziel | Swiss quality goal |
| SHmV | Schadstoffhöchstmengenverordnung | Order Governing Maximum Pollutant Level |
| SRU | Rat der Sachverständigen für Umweltfragen | Council of Experts for Environmental Aspects |
| SSK | Strahlenschutzkommission | Radiation Protection Committee |
| STEL | Short term exposure limit | |
| TA-Abfall | Technical Instructions on Waste Management | |
| TA-Lärm | Technical Instructions on Noise Abatement | |
| TA-Luft | Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control | |
| TAVO | Trinkwasseraufbereitungsverordnung | Order Governing Treatment of Drinking Water |
| TLV-C | Threshold limit value - ceiling (maximum workplace concentration which should not be exceeded as a result of workplace exposure; measurement over 15 minute period) | |
| TLV-STEL | Threshold limit value - short term exposure limit (maximum workplace concentration; reference: weighted average of 15 minute exposure occurring max. 4 times a day (8 hours per working day) if there are at least 60 minutes between the exposure periods) | |
| TLV-TWA | Threshold limit value - time weighted average (maximum workplace concentration for an 8 hour working day/40 hours per week, averaged) | |
| TOC | Total organically bonded carbon | |
| TOCl | Total organically bonded chlorine | |
| TRK | Technische Richtkonzentration | Technical guideline concentration (for hazardous substances which are carcinogenic) |
| TÜV | Technischer Überwachungsverein | Technical Supervisory Authority |
| TVO | Trinkwasserverordnung | Order Governing Drinking Water |
| TWA | Time weighted average | |
| UBA | Umweltbundesamt | Federal Environment Agency, Berlin |
| UMK | Conference of Environment Ministers | |
| UMPLIS | UBA Environment Information and Documentation System | |
| UN | United Nations | |
| UNEP | UN environment programme | |
| UVU | Environmental compatibility test | |
| VCI | Verband der chemischen Industrie | Association of the Chemical Industry |
| VDG | Vereinigung Deutscher Gewässerschutz | German Water Protection Association |
| VDI | Verein Deutscher Ingenieure | Association of German Engineers |
| VO | Verordnung | Order |
| VSBo | Schweizer Verordnung über Schadstoffe im Boden | Swiss Order Governing Pollutants in the Soil dated 01.09.1986 |
| W.Q.R. | Water Quality Requirements (American and Australian water quality standards) | |
| WGK | Water hazard class | |
| WHG | Water Balance Law | |
| WHO | World Health Organisation | |
| ZEBS | Zentrale Erfassungs- und Bewertungsstelle für Umweltchemikalien | Central Recording and Evaluation Office for Environmental Chemicals |