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Multivariate water quality assessment from the Tamiraparani river basin, Southern India

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Abstract

The hydrochemistry of a perennial river has been investigated with multivariate cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis/factor analysis (PCA/FA). The aim was to investigate parameters responsible for spatial and temporal variations of river water quality. Water quality was monitored along the river basin at 20 different sites over a period of 1 year from July, 2008 to June, 2009. Multivariate statistics revealed that Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3 −, Cl−, H4SiO4, SO4 2−, NO2 −, and PO4 3− were influenced by seasonal and spatial variations and that water quality was in the first place determined more by natural weathering processes than by anthropogenic activities. We could prove by (a) Box and Whisker plot, (b) matrix scatter score mean plot, (c) ternary plot, and (d) Gibbs plot that the chemistry of river water is controlled by lithogenic weathering processes. The higher concentration of dissolved silica during summer and the pre-monsoon season is explained by natural and tropical climatic conditions of the environment.

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Acknowledgments

The first authors would like to thank the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Department of Science and Technology (DST) for financial assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Marine Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli, 620024, India

    P. Kumarasamy & R. Arthur James

  2. Green Life Science Department, College of Convergence, Sangmyung University, 7 Hongij-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-743, South Korea

    R. Arthur James & Hans-Uwe Dahms

  3. Department of Environmental Resources, Graduate School of Sangmyung University, Sangmyung University, 7 Hongij-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 110-743, South Korea

    Chan-Woo Byeon

  4. Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University, Chennai, 600 025, India

    R. Ramesh

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  1. P. Kumarasamy
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  4. Chan-Woo Byeon
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Correspondence to R. Arthur James or Hans-Uwe Dahms.

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Kumarasamy, P., Arthur James, R., Dahms, HU. et al. Multivariate water quality assessment from the Tamiraparani river basin, Southern India. Environ Earth Sci 71, 2441–2451 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2644-0

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