Abstract
Effective determination of water quality and water pollution assessment is crucial and challenging processes. Evaluating water quality in rivers, researchers have referred to various statistical, probabilistic and stochastic methods to obtain efficient information from the monitoring network. As data are greatly random, the information content can be obtained by utilizing various methods including but not limited to the “entropy.” Monitoring is a difficult process due to high measurement costs, while it is also difficult to optimize the network in terms of time, space, and especially the variable to be monitored. In the presented study, it is aimed to create an effective approach to be used in optimizing the monitoring network by determining the “prior” variables by entropy that measures the uncertainty by using all the data without time difference. The presented study proposes an alternative method to define the water quality variables that should be monitored much more frequently. Study is exemplified for demonstrating its potential use in a case study level, Grand River in Canada, by assessing water quality data obtained from 15 water quality monitoring stations. Results showed that BOD, Cl, and NO2-N among examined 8 different variables are as the “prior” variables should be monitored. It is being proven that the prior variable that should be monitored for optimization of the network can be easily determined with the information obtained from the data statistically evaluated with entropy, and it can be stated as an effective method for managers to use in the decision-making process.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The datasets analyzed during the current study are available in the https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/967a942d-9397-4e7c-8f42-77fc422c0a37 link.
References
Adimalla, N. (2021). Application of the entropy weighted water quality index (EWQI) and the pollution index of groundwater (PIG) to assess groundwater quality for drinking purposes: A case study in a rural area of Telangana State, India. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 80, 31–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-020-00800-4
Adimalla, N., Qian, H., & Li, P. (2020). Entropy water quality index and probabilistic health risk assessment from geochemistry of groundwaters in hard rock terrain of Nanganur County, South India, Geochemistry, 80(4). Supplement. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2019.125544
Ahmed, U., Rafia, M., Hirra, A., Asad, A. S., Rabia, I., & José, G. (2019). Efficient water quality prediction using supervised machine learning. Water, 11(11), 2210. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11112210
Alfonso, L. (2010). Optimisation of monitoring networks for water systems, information theory, value of information and public participation. PhD thesis, Delft Univ. of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.
Alfonso, L., He, L., Lobbrecht, A., & Price, R. (2013). Information theory applied to evaluate the discharge monitoring network of the Magdalena River. Journal of Hydroinformatics., 15(1), 211–228. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2012.066
Amiri, V., Rezaei, M., & Sohrabi, N. (2014). Groundwater quality assessment using entropy weighted water quality index (EWQI) in Lenjanat. Iran. Environ Earth Sciences, 72, 3479–3490. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3255-0
Baran, T., Harmancioglu, N. B., Cetinkaya, C. P., & Barbaros, F. (2017). An extension to the revised approach in the assessment of informational entropy. Entropy, 19(12), 634. https://doi.org/10.3390/e19120634
Bozoglu, Ö., Baran, T., & Barbaros F (2022). Entropy based regional precipitation prediction in the case of Gediz River basin. Teknik Dergi. https://doi.org/10.18400/tekderg.724164
Campana, M. E., Vener, B. B., Kekelidze, N. P., Suleymanov, B., & Saghatelyan, A. (2008). Science for peace: Monitoring water quality and quantity in the Kura—Araks Basin of the South Caucasus. In J. E. Moerlins, M. K. Khankhasayev, S. F. Leitman, & E. J. Makhmudov (Eds.), Transboundary water resources: A foundation for regional stability in Central Asia. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6736-5_11
Chen, J., He, D., & Cui, S. (2003). The response of river water quality and quantity to the development of irrigated agriculture in the last 4 decades in the Yellow River Basin, China. Water Resources Research, 39, 1047. https://doi.org/10.1029/2001WR001234
Chen, B., Wang, J., Zhao, H., & Principe, J. C. (2016). Insights into entropy as a measure of multivariate variability. Entropy, 18(5), 196. https://doi.org/10.3390/e18050196
Chen, K., Chen, H., Zhou, C., Huang, H., Qi, X., Shen, R., Liu, F., Zuo, M., Zou, X., Wang, J., Zhang, Y., Chen, D., Chen, X., Deng, Y., Ren, H. (2020). Comparative analysis of surface water quality prediction performance and identification of key water parameters using different machine learning models based on big data. Water Research, 171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.115454
Cheng, K., Wei, S., Fu, Q., Pei, W., & Li, T. (2019). Adaptive management of water resources based on an advanced entropy method to quantify agent information. Journal of Hydroinformatics., 21(3), 381–396. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2019.007
Ciriello, V., Lee, J., & Tartakovsky, D. M. (2021). Advances in uncertainty quantification for water resources applications. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, 35(11). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00477-021-01998-y
Cui, H., Sivakumar, B., & Singh, V. (2018). Entropy applications in environmental and water engineering. Entropy, 20(8), 598. https://doi.org/10.3390/e20080598
Dashora, M., Kumar, A., Kumar, S., et al. (2022). Geochemical assessment of groundwater in a desertic region of India using chemometric analysis and entropy water quality index (EWQI). Natural Hazards, 112, 747–782. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-05204-8
Deng, X., Xu, Y., Han, L., Yu, Z., Yang, M., & Pan, G. (2015). Assessment of river health based on an improved entropy-based fuzzy matter-element model in the Taihu Plain, China. Ecological Indicators, 57, 85–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.04.020
Dey, P., & Mujumdar, P. (2022). On the statistical complexity of streamflow. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 67(1), 40–53. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2021.2000991
EEA. (2021). Use of freshwater resources in Europe, Retrieved March 2021 from https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/use-of-freshwater-resources-3/assessment-4
Egbueri, J. C., Ameh, P. D., & Unigwe, C. O. (2020a). Integrating entropy-weighted water quality index and multiple pollution indices towards a better understanding of drinking water quality in Ojoto area, SE Nigeria. Scientific African, 10, e00644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2020a.e00644
Egbueri, J. C., Ezugwu, C. K., Ameh, P. D., Unigwe, C. O., & Ayejoto, D. A. (2020b). Appraising drinking water quality in Ikem rural area (Nigeria) based on chemometrics and multiple indexical methods. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 192, 308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08277-3
Egbueri, J. C., Ameh, P. D., Enyigwe, M. T., & Unigwe, C. O. (2021). Entropy-based analysis of the impact of environmentally sensitive elements on groundwater quality of the Ameka Region of Southeast Nigeria: Medical Geology Implications. Analytical Letters, 54(7), 1193–1223. https://doi.org/10.1080/00032719.2020.1797076
Ellenburg, W. L., Cruise, J. F., & Singh, V. P. (2018). The role of evapotranspiration in streamflow modeling – An analysis using entropy. Journal of Hydrology, 567, 290–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.09.048
Giao, N. T., Cong, N. V., & Nhien, H. T. H. (2021). Using remote sensing and multivariate statistics in analyzing the relationship between land use pattern and water quality in Tien Giang Province. Vietnam. Water, 2021(13), 1093. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13081093
GRCA. (2021). Grand River Conservation Authority. Retrieved April 2021 from https://www.grandriver.ca/en/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_River_%28Ontario%29
Gu, Q., Hu, H., Ma, L., et al. (2019). Characterizing the spatial variations of the relationship between land use and surface water quality using self-organizing map approach. Ecological Indicators, 102, 633–643. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.03.017
Harmancioglu, N. B. (1981). Measuring the information content of hydrological processes by the entropy concept. Journal of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Special Issue for the Centennial of Ataturk’s Birth, pp. 13–38, Ege University Izmir, Turkey
Harmancioglu, N. B., & Alpaslan, N. (2007). Water quality monitoring network design: A problem of multiobjective decision making. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 28(1):179 - 192. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.1992.tb03163.x
Harmancioglu, N. B., & Singh, V. P. (1998). Entropy in environmental and water resources. In C. W. Finkl (Ed.), Encyclopedia of hydrology and lakes, Encyclopedia of Earth Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4497-6_76
Harmancioglu, N. B., Alpaslan, N., & Singh, V. P. (1992a). Application of the entropy concept in design of water quality monitoring networks. In V. P. Singh & M. Fiorentino (Eds.), Entropy and energy dissipation in water resources (pp. 283–302). Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Harmancioglu, N. B., Alpaslan, N., & Singh, V. P. (1992b). Design of water quality monitoring networks. In R. N. Chowdhury (Ed.), Geomechanics and water engineering in environmental management (pp. 267–297). A. A. Balkema.
Harmancioglu, N. B., Fistikoglu, O., Ozkul, S. D., Singh, V. P., & Alpaslan, M. N. (1999). Water quality monitoring network design. Kluwer.
Harmancioglu, N. B., Singh, V. P., & Alpaslan, N. (1992c). Versatile uses of the entropy concept in water resources. In V. P. Singh & M. Fiorentino (Eds.), Entropy and energy dissipation in water resources (pp. 91–117). Kluwer Academic Publishers.
INBO/UNESCO. (2018). The handbook on water information systems administration, processing and exploitation of water-related data, International Network of Basin Organizations – INBO & United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO.
Isiyaka, H. A., Mustapha, A., Juahir, H., et al. (2019). Water quality modelling using artificial neural network and multivariate statistical techniques. Model. Earth Syst. Environ., 5, 583–593. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-018-0551-9
Islam, A. R. M. T., Islam, H. M. T., Mia, U., et al. (2020a). Co-distribution, possible origins, status and potential health risk of trace elements in surface water sources from six major river basins. Bangladesh. Chemosphere, 249, 126180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.126180
Islam, A. R. M. T., Mamun, A. A., Rahman, M., & Zahid, A. (2020b). Simultaneous comparison of modified-integrated water quality and entropy weighted indices: Implication for safe drinking water in the coastal region of Bangladesh. Ecological Indicators, 113, 106229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106229
Jha, R., & Singh, V. P. (2008). Evaluation of riverwater quality by entropy. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 12, 61–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-008-8061-3
Jianhua, W., Peiyue, L., Hui, Q. (2011). Groundwater quality in Jingyuan County, a semi-humid area in Northwest China. Journal of Chemistry, 8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/163695
Karaman, H. G. (2013). Identifying uncertainty of the mean of some water quality variables along water quality monitoring network of Bahr El Baqar drain. Water Science, 27(54), 48–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsj.2013.12.005
Karamouz, M., Nokhandan, A. K., Kerachian, R., Maksimovic, Č. (2009). Design of on-line river water quality monitoring systems using the entropy theory: A case study Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0418-z
Kholoosi, M. M., Aberi, P., Arabzadeh, R., & Araghinejad, S. (2015). Water quality assessment using entropy based water quality index and application of a new clustering approach, 10th International Congress on Civil Engineering, University of Tabriz, Iran.
Kumar, P. J. S., Augustine, C. M. (2022). Entropy-weighted water quality index (EWQI) modeling of groundwater quality and spatial mapping in Uppar Odai Sub-Basin South India. Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, 8, 911-924. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-021-01132-5
Ma, T., Zhao, N., Ni, Y., et al. (2020). China’s improving inland surface water quality since 2003. Science Advances, 6, 1. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau3798
Mahammad, S., Islam, A., & Shit, P. K. (2022). Geospatial assessment of groundwater quality using entropy-based irrigation water quality index and heavy metal pollution indices. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-20665-5
Maruyama, T., Kawachi, T., & Singh, V. P. (2005). Entropy-based assessment and clustering of potential water resources availability. Journal of Hydrology, 309(1–4), 104–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2004.11.020
Masoumi, F., & Kerachian, R. (2008). Assessment of the groundwater salinity monitoring network of the Tehran region: Application of the discrete entropy theory. Water Science & Technology, 58(4), 765–771. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2008.674
McIntyre, N. R., Wagener, T., Wheater, H. S., & Yu, Z. S. (2003). Uncertainty and risk in water quality modelling and management. Journal of Hydroinformatics., 5(4), 259–274. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2003.0022
Mishra, A. K., Özger, M., & Singh, V. P. (2009). An entropy-based investigation into the variability of precipitation. Journal of Hydrology, 370(1–4), 139–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.03.006
MoECP. (2016). Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Retrieved April 2021 from https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-environment-conservation-parks
Montgomery, R. H., & Sanders, T. G. (1986). Uncertainty in water quality data. In A. H. El-Shaarawi, R. E. Kwiatkowski (Eds.), Developments in water science, 27, 17–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-5648(08)70781-0
NASA. (2021). Second law of thermodynamics, Glenn Research Center, Retrieved August 2021 from https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/thermo2.html
Odemis, B., & Evrendilek, F. (2007). Monitoring water quality and quantity of national watersheds in Turkey. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 133, 215–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-9574-1
OGL. (2013). Open Government Licence – Ontario, Retrieved April 2021 from https://www.ontario.ca/page/open-government-licence-ontario#section-0
Ontario PWQMN, (2014). Provincial (Stream) Water Quality Monitoring Network of Ontario, Canada. Retrieved April 2021 from https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/967a942d-9397-4e7c-8f42-77fc422c0a37
Ozkul, S., Harmancioglu, N.B., & Singh, V. P. (2000). Entropy-based assessment of water quality monitoring networks. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0699(2000)5:1(90)
Ping, L., Wang, J., Sangaiah, A. K., Xie, Y., & Yin, X. (2019). Analysis and prediction of water quality using LSTM deep neural networks in IoT environment. Sustainability, 11(7), 2058. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11072058
Rehana, S., Rajulapati, C. R., Ghosh, S., Karmakar, S., & Mujumdar, P. P. (2020). Uncertainty quantification in water resource systems modeling: Case studies from India. Water, 12(6), 1793. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12061793
Renard, P., Delay, F., Tartakovsky, D. M., & Vesselinov, V. V. (2020). Parameter estimation and uncertainty quantification in water resources modeling. Lausanne: Frontiers Media SA.
Rode, M., & Suh, U. (2007). Uncertainties in selected river water quality data. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 11, 863–874. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-11-863-2007
Shannon, C. E. (1948). Mathematical theory of information. The Bell System Technical Journal, 27, 379–423, 623–656. The University of Illinois Press, Urbana, IL, USA.
Shannon, C. E., & Weaver, W. (1949). The mathematical theory of communication. University of Illinois Press.
Shenkin, P. S., Erman, B., & Mastrandrea, L. D. (1991). Information-theoretical entropy as a measure of sequence variability. Proteins, 11, 297–313. https://doi.org/10.1002/prot.340110408
Siddique, A. B., Islam, A. R. M. T., Hossain, M. S., et al. (2022). Multivariate statistics and entropy theory for irrigation water quality and entropy-weighted index development in a subtropical urban river Bangladesh. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29, 8577–8596. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16343-7
Siddique, A. B., Khan, R., Islam, A. R. M. T., et al. (2021). Quality assessment of freshwaters from a coastal city of southern Bangladesh: Irrigation feasibility and preliminary health risks appraisal. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management, 16, 100524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2021.100524
Silva, V. P. R., Filho, A. F. B., Souza, E.P., et al. (2018). An analysis of rainfall based on entropy theory. International Journal of Advanced Engineering Research and Science (IJAERS), Vol-5, Issue-6. https://doi.org/10.22161/ijaers.5.6.11
Singh, V. P. (1989). Hydrologic modelling using entropy. Journal of the Institution of Engineers India Civil Engineering Division, 70, 55–60.
Singh, V. P. (1997). The use of entropy in hydrology and water resources. Hydrological Processes, 11(6), 587–626. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1085(199705)11:6%3c587::AID-HYP479%3e3.0.CO;2-P
Singh, V. P. (2000). The entropy theory as a tool for modeling and decision-making in environmental and water resources. Water SA, 26. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/164632
Singh, V. P. (2013). Entropy theory and its application in environmental and water engineering. Wiley – Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118428306
Singh, V. P. (2014). Entropy theory in hydrologic science and engineering, McGraw-Hill Education.
Singh, V. P. (2018). Systems of frequency distributions for water and environmental engineering. Physica a: Statistical Mechanics and Its Applications, 506, 50–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physa.2018.03.038
Singh, A., Mishra, S., Hoffpauir, R. J., Lavenue, A. M., Deeds, N. E., & Jackson, C.S. (2010). Final analyzing uncertainty and risk in the management of water resources for the State of Texas, Texas Water Development Board, 106 p.
Singh, K. R., Dutta, R., Kalamdhad, A. S., & Kumar, B. (2019a). Information entropy as a tool in surface water quality assessment. Environmental Earth Sciences, 78(15). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7998-x
Singh, K. R., Dutta, R., Kalamdhad, A. S., & Kumar, B. (2019b). An investigation on water quality variability and identification of ideal monitoring locations by using entropy based disorder indices. Science of the Total Environment., 10(647), 1444–1455. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.463
Singh, K. R., Goswami, A. P., Kalamdhad, A. S., & Kumar, B. (2020). Development of irrigation water quality index incorporating information entropy. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 22, 3119–3132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-019-00338-z
Subba Rao, N., Sunitha, B., Adimalla, N., & Chaudhary, M. (2020). Quality criteria for groundwater use from a rural part of Wanaparthy District, Telangana State, India, through ionic spatial distribution (ISD), entropy water quality index (EWQI) and principal component analysis (PCA). Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 42, 579–599. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-019-00393-5
Tanyimboh, T. T. (2017). Informational entropy: A failure tolerance and reliability surrogate for water distribution networks. Water Resources Management, 31(10), 3189–3204. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-017-1684-8
Temiz, Ö., & Baran, T. (2012). Determination of expected value for monthly total precipitation by entropy based method case study: Gediz Basin. 10th International Congress on Advances in Civil Engineering, Paper No: 769, 10 p.
Tiyasha, T., Tung, T. M., Yaseen, Z. M. (2020). A survey on river water quality modelling using artificial intelligence models: 2000–2020. Journal of Hydrology, 585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.124670
Ukah, B. U., Ameh, P. D., Egbueri, J. C., Unigwe, C. O., & Ubido, O. E. (2020). Impact of effluent-derived heavy metals on the groundwater quality in Ajao industrial area, Nigeria: An assessment using entropy water quality index (EWQI). International Journal of Energy and Water Resources , 4, 231–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42108-020-00058-5
Unigwe, C.O., & Egbueri, J.C. (2022). Drinking water quality assessment based on statistical analysis and three water quality indices (MWQI, IWQI and EWQI): A case study. Environment, Development and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-02076-7
Wehri, A. (1978). General properties of entropy. Reviews of Modern Physics, 50, 221. https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.50.221
Wenjie, Y., Zhao, Y., Wang, D., Wu, H., Lin, A., & He, L. (2020). Using principal components analysis and IDW interpolation to determine spatial and temporal changes of surface water quality of Xin’anjiang River in Huangshan, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8), 2942. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17082942
Wild, T. (2020). Nature-based solutions improving water quality & waterbody conditions: Analysis of EU-funded projects. European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Publications Office. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/2898
Wrzesiński, D. (2016). Use of entropy in the assessment of uncertainty of river runoff regime in Poland. Acta Geophysica, 64(5), 1825–1839. https://doi.org/10.1515/acgeo-2016-0073
Wu, J. H., Xue, C. Y., Tian, R., & Wang, S. T. (2017). Lake water quality assessment: A case study of Shahu Lake in the semiarid loess area of northwest China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 76(5), 232–247. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6516-x
Yazdi, J. (2018). Water quality monitoring network design for urban drainage systems, an entropy method. Urban Water Journal, 15(3), 227–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062X.2018.1424215
Zhou, W., Zhang, Y., Yin, J., et al. (2022). Evaluation of polluted urban river water quality: A case study of the Xunsi River watershed, China. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-20297-9
Acknowledgements
The presented study was carried on with the open source data from the https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/967a942d-9397-4e7c-8f42-77fc422c0a37 link in the scope of the “Open Government Licence – Ontario” that can be found in [https://www.ontario.ca/page/open-government-licence-ontario] link, so the author kindly thanks the related authorities of the Government of Ontario.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The author declares no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Barbaros, F. Entropy-assisted approach to determine priorities in water quality monitoring process. Environ Monit Assess 194, 917 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10580-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-022-10580-0