engleski

Application of multivariate statistical techniques to evaluation of groundwater quality in Brčko distrikt

The quality of ground water as a source of drinking water in Brčko Distrikt is regularly monitored. During the five years period (2004-2008), 2560 samples of ground waters were analysed. The mass concentration of cations (Li+, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, Mn2+, NH4+) and anions (F -, Br-, Cl–, NO3–, SO42–, PO43-, HCO3–), temperature, pH, total hardness, TDS, KMnO4, BPK5, O2 and conductivity have been measured using standard analytical methods. To assess the physico-chemical composition of groundwaters, we used multivariate statistical methods of data analysis, viz. cluster analysis, factor analysis and discriminant analysis. Cluster analysis resulted in a dendrogram, where all 92 groundwater sources are divided into a number of clusters, depending on the level of similarity. Factor analysis, using principal components analysis, singled out six factors (Eigenvalue > 1) that explain approximately 79.2% of total variance. According to the results of multivariate analysis, all groundwater sources were divided into ten groups that are naturally associated. To sum up, the present study reveals new information from the data sets such as patterns of similarity between sampling locations, seasonal behavior of chemical contents and time trends.

groundwater quality; water classification; multivariate statistical techniques

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