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"Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Volume II: Field Manual,Physical/Chemical <br /> Methods" (EPA, 1986). The statistical evaluation was conducted to further evaluate the <br /> concentration of lead within soil at the site. <br /> The statistical evaluation addressed the following items: <br /> • Calculation of mean; <br /> • Determination of the distribution of the sample data; and <br /> • Calculation of the 80% Confidence Interval (CI) which provides a corresponding <br /> 90%Upper Confidence Level (UCL), interpreted as a 0.90 probability that the <br /> true mean for a given population is no higher than the calculated UCL. <br /> The data from all intervals were combined into one data set for analysis as Caltrans construction <br /> plans typically call for excavation of soil to 0.6 meters (2 feet) for road base preparation. <br /> Evaluation of the soil data resulted in a mean (average) concentration of total lead of 36.0 mg/kg <br /> (Appendix E). <br /> A histogram of the total lead results was constructed to evaluate the distribution of the total lead <br /> concentrations within the data set. The data were found to be heavily skewed to lower <br /> concentrations (Appendix E). <br /> The data are not normally distributed. Therefore, the UCL of the 80% CI (90%UCL) can be <br /> approximated if the number of samples is sufficiently large. Gilbert (1987) states that for data <br /> with a highly skewed distribution a sample population of 50 or more samples may be needed for <br /> analysis of the UCL. The number of samples in the total sample population is 165. <br /> For samples with lead concentrations reported as non-detect above the analytical method <br /> reporting limit, a value of one-half of the reporting limit was used in the statistical evaluation. <br /> Calculations were performed within Statistix 7. The 90%UCL was calculated using the <br /> following equation from Gilbert (1987) (modified from SW-846 to provide the upper one-sided <br /> confidence limit): <br /> 90%UCL=x + (t0.90)(s/n12) <br /> where x =mean of the data <br /> toxo=the quantile for the "t"distribution for the 90%UCL <br /> S = standard deviation of the data <br /> n =number of samples <br /> SncDP-N:IrnncjpllProjectsl8?I8 1?641ReportU?0 Austin report.doc 4_3 <br /> 5/21/07 <br />