Abstract
Evaluating the quality of river water is a critical process due to pollution and variations of natural or anthropogenic origin. For the Soan River (Pakistan), seven sampling sites were selected in the urban area of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, and 18 major chemical parameters were examined over two seasons, i.e., premonsoon and postmonsoon 2019. Multivariate statistical approaches such as the Spearman correlation coefficient, cluster analysis (CA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to evaluate the water quality of the Soan River based on temporal and spatial patterns. Analytical results obtained by PCA show that 92.46% of the total variation in the premonsoon season and 93.11% in the postmonsoon season were observed by only two loading factors in both seasons. The PCA and CA made it possible to extract and recognize the origins of the factors responsible for water quality variations during the year 2019. The sampling stations were grouped into specific clusters on the basis of the spatiotemporal pattern of water quality data. The parameters dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, and total suspended solids (TSS) are among the prominent contributing variations in water quality, indicating that the water quality of the Soan River deteriorates gradually as it passes through the urban areas, receiving domestic and industrial wastewater from the outfalls. This study indicates that the adopted methodology can be utilized effectively for effective river water quality management.
Highlights
Rivers convey water and minerals to territories all around the earth
The hierarchical Cluster Analysis (CA) technique was used for the assessment of similarity among the sampling sites
Multivariate statistical techniques were used for the evaluation of pollution variations and source apportionment due to water contamination in the Soan River
Summary
Rivers convey water and minerals to territories all around the earth. They have a significant influence on the hydrological cycle and serve as drainage outlets for runoff. Unsafe drinking water and inadequate sanitary conditions are associated with infectious diseases such as cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, and polio which significantly affect human health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least two billion people worldwide use drinking water from a contaminated source containing human excreta [1]. Research has revealed that developing countries have been able to control waterborne diseases to some extent through the development of sustainable natural resources, especially water resources, out of concern for the improvement of public health. Challenges to achieving this workable goal remain, due to the increase in demand for water and the reduction of water availability resulting from escalating population growth and increased financial stability [2]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
