Environmental Determinants of Surface Water Quality Based on Environmetric Methods

Abstract

A multivariate statistical technique, exploratory factor analysis-FA, has been used to assess the natural and anthropogenic impacts on surface water quality in two river basins in Western part of Turkey (Büyük Menderes and Küçük Menderes River Basins). The method attempted to explain the correlations between the observations in terms of the underlying factors, which were not directly observable and to reduce a great number of the water quality variables to a smaller number of attributes, grouped in common factors. Furthermore, by using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis-CFA method, the reliability of separated factors and the dimensionality have been determined. Then the path diagram was designed to investigate the structural model. Results revealed that ionic composition and water oxygenation of waters were factors controlling overall water quality in the region. Since components of first factors were observed in higher levels in Büyük Menderes Basin, it can be concluded that this region was affected from anthropogenic activities severely, compared to the Kücük Menderes Basin. Overall results revealed that FA confirmed by CFA can be used to identify probable pollution sources of surface waters.