Statistical distributions as applied to environmental surveillance data

Application of normal, lognormal, and Weibull distributions to radiological environmental surveillance data was investigated for approximately 300 nuclide-medium-year-location combinations. The fit of data to distributions was compared through probability plotting (special graph paper provides a visual check) and W test calculations. Results show that 25% of the data fit the normal distribution, 50% fit the lognormal, and 90% fit the Weibull.Demonstration of how to plot each distribution shows that normal and lognormal distributions are comparatively easy to use while Weibull distribution is complicated and difficult to use. Although current practice is to use normal distribution statistics, normal fit the least number of data groups considered in this study