title: Using principal component analysis to monitor spatial and temporal changes in water quality.
abstract: Chemical, biological and physical data monitored at 12 locations along the Passaic River, New Jersey, during the year 1998 are analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used: (i) to extract the factors associated with the hydrochemistry variability; (ii) to obtain the spatial and temporal changes in the water quality. Solute content, temperature, nutrients and organics were the main patterns extracted. The spatial analysis isolated two stations showing a possible point or non-point source of pollution. This study shows the importance of environmental monitoring associated with simple but powerful statistics to better understand a complex water system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, University Heights, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bengraïne
authors.forename: Taha F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Marhaba
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012995:Solubility; D013696:Temperature; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D014873:Water Pollutants