SOME STATISTICAL DESIGN AND ANALYSIS ASPECTS
FOR NEVADA APPLIED ECOLOGY GROUP STUDIES
R.
O.
Gilbert and L.
L.
Eberhardt
Battelle Memorial Institute
Pacific Northwest Laboratory
Richland, Washington
ABSTRACT
Some of the design and analysis aspects of the Nevada Applied Ecology
Group
(NAEG)
studies at safety-shot sites are reviewed in conjunction
with discussions of possible new approaches.
The use of double
sampling to estimate inventories is suggested as a means of obtaining.
data for estimating the geographical distribution of plutonium using
computer contouring programs.
The lack of estimates of error for
plutonium contours is noted and a regression approach discussed for
obtaining such estimates.
The kinds of new data that are now avail-
able for analysis from A site of Area 11 and the four Tonopah Test
Range (TTR) sites are outlined, and the need for a closer look at
methods for analyzing ratio-type data is pointed out.
The necessity
for thorough planning of environmental sampling programs is emphasized
in order to obtain the maximum amount of information for fixed cost.
Some general planning aspects of new studies at nuclear sites and
experimental clean-up plots are discussed, as is the planning of
interlaboratory comparisons.
INTRODUCTION
The NAEG has been active during the past few years with the collection
and analysis of more than 2,000 soil, vegetation, small mammal,
cattle, and air samples at 10 safety-shot sites on the Nevada Test
Site (NTS) and the Tonopah Test Range (TTR).
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The authors have been