The following codes are the EPA-required standard codes for
QA/QC samples. Note: These codes are used to denote "sample
type."
Please report the three digit QC Codes from the list below. TIP: To find
a particular QC identifier, use the "FIND" command of your browser, if available.
| QC CODE | QC IDENTIFIER | DEFINITION |
| FBB | field bottle blank | Similar to trip blank but exposed to ambient field conditions and preserved in the field. |
| FBS | blank source water | An aliquot of reagent water used to establish background when measuring contamination introduced to samples from sampling apparatus. |
| FBT | field tubing blank | An aliquot of reagent water used to establish contamination introduced to samples from sampling line. |
| FCM | field control solution | An aliquot of reagent water or equivalent neutral reference material to which a known quantity(s) of method analyte(s) was added in the field. The FCM is treated as an environmental sample in all aspects in both the field and the laboratory, including addition of preservatives, reagents, internal standards, surrogates, glassware, equipment, solvents and analyses. |
| FD1 | field duplicate - first member | The first duplicate of two environmental samples taken at the same time and place under identical circumstances; the first being the routine sample (RFS). Each sample is treated identically throughout field and laboratory analytical procedures; and each is carried through the entire laboratory analytical method as applied to all other samples analyzed with the same method. |
| FD2-FD9 | field duplicate - nth member | The second through the ninth additional aliquots which logically follow FD1. If more than one aliquots are used, all names are changed from duplicates to replicates. Codes do not change. |
| FDX | field double purpose precision and accuracy sample | Used if the values are somehow different from the base routine field sample (RFS). An environmental sample which is used for both the FSO (background levels before spike ) and FD1 (first member of duplicate). |
| FFB | field filter blank | An aliquot of reagent water used to establish contamination from filter. |
| FFM | field fortified blank | An aliquot of sample matrix, known to be below detection limits for an analyte(s), to which a known quantity(s) of method analyte(s) was added in the field. The FFM is treated as an environmental sample in all aspects in the field and in the laboratory, including addition of all preservatives, reagents, internal standards, surrogates, glassware, equipment, solvents and analyses. |
| FRB | field blank | An aliquot of reagent water or equivalent neutral reference material (resin, filter) treated as an environmental sample in all aspects in both the field and the laboratory including exposure to sample collection apparatus and field ambient conditions, addition of all preservatives, reagents, internal standards, surrogates, glassware, apparatus, equipment, solvents and analyses. |
| FRM | field reference solution | An aliquot of a sample (submitted by the requester) having a certified value. These samples are usually obtained from the NBS, EMSL, etc. The concentration measured by the same analytical; procedure used for other samples is the "found" value. |
| FSF | field spiked sample - final values | The second portion of the environmental sample which was split in the field, and to which a spike was added in the field with a known concentration increment. The measurement(s) of the final concentration(s) was made according to the analytical method (FSF). |
| FSO | field spiked sample background (original) values | An environmental sample which was split in the field. The portion represented by FSP is analyzed according to the analytical method without fortification (spiking). |
| FTB | field trip blank | An aliquot of reagent water or equivalent neutral reference material (resin, filter) carried into the field but not exposed; to sample collection equipment or ambient field conditions, analyzed exactly like a RFS. Assesses contamination from sample shipping/handling. |
| RFS | routine field sample | Sample taken in the field to represent the population of interest. |
| SRH | high field check standard | High level analysis verification standard initiated in field sampling |
| SRL | low field check standard | Low level analysis verification standard initiated in field sampling |
