Abstract
The aim of the study was to analyze the results of surface water quality tests carried out in the Bystrzyca river basin. The study was conducted over four years in four seasons. The following chemometric techniques were used for the purposes of statistical analyses: the principal component analysis with factor analysis (PCA/FA), the hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and the discriminant analysis (DA). The analyses allowed for determining the temporal variability in water quality between the seasons. The best water quality was recorded in summer and the worst in autumn. The analyses did not provide a clear assessment of the spatial variability of water quality in the river basin. Pollution from wastewater treatment plants and soil tillage had a similar effect on water quality. The tested samples were characterized by very high electrolytic conductivity, suspended solids and P-PO4 concentrations and the water quality did not meet the standards of good ecological status.
Highlights
In Poland, rivers are characterized by relatively low runoffs
P-PO4 concentrations and the water quality did not meet the standards of good ecological status
Excessive content in surface waters can lead to eutrophication, oxygen deficiency, as well as the development of organisms posing a danger to human health [18,19]
Summary
In Poland, rivers are characterized by relatively low runoffs. Small water resources often overlap with eutrophication processes resulting from low dilution of pollutants. After Poland’s accession to the European Union (EU), the implementation of environmental monitoring programs commenced [1,2] Due to their location, rivers carry pollutants to lakes and the sea, contributing to the eutrophication of these water bodies. Water quality is affected by both natural processes and anthropogenic factors. Pollutants go to water from point sources (industry, municipal) and area sources, which are identified with agricultural land [13,14,15]. Both natural and anthropogenic factors influence the amount of nutrients eluted from the basin [16,17].
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