Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

An integrated multivariate statistical approach for the evaluation of spatial variations in groundwater quality near an unlined landfill

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Groundwater is a major resource for water supply in Canada, and 43 of 68 Saskatchewan municipalities rely on groundwater or combined groundwater and surface water sources. The Regina landfill is built on top of the Condie aquifer, without an engineered liner. Missing data and inconsistent sampling make a traditional groundwater assessment difficult. An integrated statistical approach using principle component analysis, correlation analysis, ion plots, and multiple linear regression is used to study groundwater contamination at the Regina landfill. Geological locations of the water samples were explicitly considered. The abundance of cations in the groundwater was Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+ > Mn2+; and for anions SO42− > HCO3− > Cl−. Correlation analysis and ion plots pointed to gypsum and halite dissolution being the main factors affecting groundwater chemistry. Principal component analysis yielded three principal components, responsible for 80.7% of the total variance. For all monitoring well groups, the sodium absorption ratio was generally less than one. The variation in the ratio from monitoring well groups suggests possible groundwater contamination from landfill operation. Wilcox diagrams indicate groundwater near the landfill is unsuitable for irrigation. A two-step multiple linear regression was used to develop a model for total hardness prediction.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abou Zakhem B, Al-Charideh A, Kattaa B (2017) Using principal component analysis in the investigation of groundwater hydrochemistry of Upper Jezireh Basin, Syria. Hydrol Sci J 62(14):2266–2279. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2017.1364845

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Arora AS, Reddy AS (2014) Development of multiple linear regression models for predicting the stormwater quality of urban sub-watersheds. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 92(1):36–43. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-1160-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakis R, Tuncan A (2011) An investigation of heavy metal and migration through groundwater from the landfill area of Eskisehir in Turkey. Environ Monit Assess 176(1–4):87–98. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1568-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbour SL, Fredlund DG (1989) Mechanisms of osmotic flow and volume change in clay soils. Can Geotech J 26:551–562

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bingham N.H., Fry J.M. (2010a) Multiple Regression. In: Regression. Springer Undergraduate Mathematics Series. Springer, London. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-969-5_3

  • Bingham, N. H., & Fry, J. M. (2010b). Regression: linear models in statistics. Springer Science & Business Media. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-969-5

  • Brix KV, DeForest DK, Tear L, Grosell M, Adams WJ (2017) Use of multiple linear regression models for setting water quality criteria for copper: a complementary approach to the biotic ligand model. Environ Sci Technol 51(9):5182–5192. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b05533

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruce N, Ng KTW, Richter A (2017) Alternative carbon dioxide modelling approaches accounting for high residual gases in LandGEM. Environ Sci Pollut Res 24(16):14322–14336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-8990-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruce N, Ng KTW, Vu HL (2018) Use of seasonal parameters and their effects on FOD landfill gas modeling. Environ Monit Assess 190:291. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6663-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Canadian Municipal Water Consortium. (2015). Canadian municipal water priorities report – towards sustainable and resilient water management, Canadian Water Network

  • Cattell RB, Jaspers J (1967) A general plasmode (no. 30-10-5-2) for factor analytic exercises and research. Multivar Behav Res Monogr 211:67–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Cho KH, Sthiannopkao S, Pachepsky YA, Kim KW, Kim JH (2011) Prediction of contamination potential of groundwater arsenic in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand using artificial neural network. Water Res 45(17):5535–5544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2011.08.010

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • City of Regina. (2012). City of Regina landfill groundwater monitoring report. City of Regina Environmental Services. Regina, SK

  • City of Regina. (2013). City of Regina landfill groundwater monitoring report. City of Regina Environmental Services. Regina, SK

  • City of Regina. (2014). City of Regina landfill groundwater monitoring report. City of Regina Environmental Services. Regina, SK

  • City of Regina. (2015). City of Regina landfill groundwater monitoring report. City of Regina Environmental Services. Regina, SK

  • City of Regina. (2016). City of Regina landfill groundwater monitoring report. City of Regina Environmental Services. Regina, SK

  • City of Regina. (2018). City of Regina landfill – acceptable materials and applicable fees. Retrieved from https://www.regina.ca/residents/waste/landfill/ on April 10, 2018

  • Civelekoglu G, Yigit NO, Diamadopoulos E, Kitis M (2007) Prediction of bromate formation using multi-linear regression and artificial neural networks. Ozone Sci Eng 29(5):353–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/01919510701549327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ebrahimi H, Rajaee T (2017) Simulation of groundwater level variations using wavelet combined with neural network, linear regression and support vector machine. Glob Planet Chang 148:181–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloplacha.2016.11.014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Environment and Climate Change Canada. (2017). Groundwater contamination. Retrieved from https://www.ec.gc.ca/eau-water/default.asp?lang=En&n=6A7FB7 on April 10, 2018

  • Foster S, Chilton J, Moench M, Cardy F, Schiffler M (2008) Groundwater in rural development: facing the challenges of supply and resource sustainability. World Bank. https://doi.org/10.1596/0-8213-4703-9

  • Google Maps (2018). Regina landfill. Retrieved from https://www.google.ca/maps/search/google+maps/@50.4891495,-104.5482896,1548m/data=!3m1!1e3 on May 31, 2018

  • Government of Canada. (2013). Water sources: groundwater. Retrieved from https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/water-overview/sources/groundwater.html on April 27, 2018

  • Greis T, Helmholz K, Schöniger HM, Haarstrick A (2012) Modelling of spatial contaminant probabilities of occurrence of chlorinated hydrocarbons in an urban aquifer. Environ Monit Assess 184(6):3577–3591. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-2209-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gu H, Chi B, Li H, Jiang J, Qin W, Wang H (2015) Assessment of groundwater quality and identification of contaminant sources of Liujiang basin in Qinhuangdao, North China. Environ Earth Sci 73(10):6477–6493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3870-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Han D, Tong X, Currell MJ, Cao G, Jin M, Tong C (2014) Evaluation of the impact of an uncontrolled landfill on surrounding groundwater quality, Zhoukou, China. J Geochem Explor 136:24–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.09.008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Han Z, Ma H, Shi G, He L, Wei L, Shi Q (2016) A review of groundwater contamination near municipal solid waste landfill sites in China. Sci Total Environ 569:1255–1264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hassen I, Hamzaoui-Azaza F, Bouhlila R (2016) Application of multivariate statistical analysis and hydrochemical and isotopic investigations for evaluation of groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and agriculture purposes: case of Oum Ali-Thelepte aquifer, central Tunisia. Environ Monit Assess 188(3):135. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10661-016-5124-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Health Canada (1979). Guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality—hardness. Water and air quality bureau, healthy environments and consumer safety branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

  • Health Canada (2017). Guidelines for Canadian drinking water quality—summary table. Water and air quality bureau, healthy environments and consumer safety branch, Health Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

  • Hu S, Luo T, Jing C (2013) Principal component analysis of fluoride geochemistry of groundwater in Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, China. J Geochem Explor 135:124–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2012.08.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ishaku JM, Ahmed AS, Abubakar MA (2011) Assessment of groundwater quality using chemical indices and GIS mapping in Jada area, Northeastern Nigeria. Journal of Earth Sciences and Geotechnical Engineering 1(1):35–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang Y, Guo H, Jia Y, Cao Y, Hu C (2015) Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analyses of arsenic groundwater geochemistry in the Hetao basin, Inner Mongolia. Chemie der Erde - Geochemistry 75(2):197–205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemer.2014.12.002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karanth KR (1987) Ground water assessment: development and management. Tata McGraw-Hill Education

  • Khanna P (2015) Physico-chemical parameters of groundwater of Bishnah, district Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences, 85(1), 121–130. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-014-0345-4

  • Lucas L, Jauzein M (2008) Use of principal component analysis to profile temporal and spatial variations of chlorinated solvent concentration in groundwater. Environ Pollut 151(1):205–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2007.01.054

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maathuis H, Van der Kamp G (1986) Groundwater observation well network in Saskatchewan, Canada. In Proceedings of Canadian Hydrology Symposium. No. 16, pp. 565–581

  • Machiwal D, Jha MK (2015) Identifying sources of groundwater contamination in a hard-rock aquifer system using multivariate statistical analyses and GIS-based geostatistical modeling techniques. Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies 4:80–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2014.11.005

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maiti S, Erram VC, Gupta G, Tiwari RK, Kulkarni UD, Sangpal RR (2013) Assessment of groundwater quality: a fusion of geochemical and geophysical information via Bayesian neural networks. Environ Monit Assess 185(4):3445–3465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-012-2802-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marsalek J (2003) Road salts in urban stormwater: an emerging issue in stormwater management in cold climates. Water Sci Technol 48(9):61–70

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mogaji KA, San Lim H, Abdullah K (2015) Modeling of groundwater recharge using a multiple linear regression (MLR) recharge model developed from geophysical parameters: a case of groundwater resources management. Environ Process 73(3):1217–1230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3476-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagaraju A, Kumar KS, Thejaswi A (2014) Assessment of groundwater quality for irrigation: a case study from Bandalamottu lead mining area, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, South India. Appl Water Sci 4(4):385–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-014-0154-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Natural Resources Canada (2017) Groundwater and Aquifers. Retrieved from http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/science/water/groundwater/10988 on April 7, 2018

  • Pan C, Ng KTW (2018) Multivariate analysis and hydrochemical assessment of groundwater at the Regina landfill site. 33rd International Conference on Solid Waste Technology and Managemen, Annapolis, Washington, MD, U.S.A.

  • Pan C, Ng KTW, Richter A (2017) Hydrochemical assessment of groundwater quality near Regina municipal landfill”. Sardinia ‘17, 16 th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, Santa Margherita di Pula, Cagliari, Italy

  • Pan C, Ng KTW, Fallah B, Richter A (in press) Evaluation of the bias and precision of regression techniques and machine learning approaches in total dissolved solids modelling of an urban aquifer. Environ Sci Pollut Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3751-y

  • Ravikumar P, Somashekar RK (2017) Principal component analysis and hydrochemical facies characterization to evaluate groundwater quality in Varahi river basin, Karnataka state, India. Appl Water Sci 7(2):745–755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-015-0287-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reddy AGS (2013) Evaluation of hydrogeochemical characteristics of phreatic alluvial aquifers in southeastern coastal belt of Prakasam district, South India. Environ Earth Sci 68(2):471–485. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-012-1752-6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richter A, Ng TWK (2017) “Snow cover effects on active landfill gas collection systems in a semi-arid climate”. In Proceedings, Sardinia ‘17, 16th International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, Santa Margherita di Pula, Cagliari, Italy, October 2–6. Edited by R. Cossu, P. He and P. Kjeldsen, CISA, Environmental Sanitary Engineering Centre, Cagliari, Italy

  • Rutherford S (2004) Groundwater use in Canada. West Coast Environmental Law 2004 November

  • Sahoo S, Jha MK (2013) Groundwater-level prediction using multiple linear regression and artificial neural network techniques: a comparative assessment. Hydrogeol J 21(8):1865–1887. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-013-1029-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salem GSA, Kazama S, Komori D, Shahid S, Dey NC (2017) Optimum abstraction of groundwater for sustaining groundwater level and reducing irrigation cost. Water Resour Manag 31(6):1947–1959. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-017-1623-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment (2016) Municipal drinking water quality monitoring guidelines. Edition 4. Environmental and Municipal Management Services Division, Water Security Agency. Regina, Saskatchewan

  • Selvakumar S, Chandrasekar N, Kumar G (2017) Hydrogeochemical characteristics and groundwater contamination in the rapid urban development areas of Coimbatore, India. Water Resources and Industry 17:26–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wri.2017.02.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spanos T, Ene A, Xatzixristou C, Papaioannou A (2015) Assessment of groundwater quality and hydrogeological profile of Kavala area, Northern Greece. Romanian Journal of Physic 60(7–8):1139–1159

    Google Scholar 

  • Talalaj IA (2014) Assessment of groundwater quality near the landfill site using the modified water quality index. Environ Monit Assess 186(6):3673–3683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-3649-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Talukder MRR, Rutherford S, Phung D, Islam MZ, Chu C (2016) The effect of drinking water salinity on blood pressure in young adults of coastal Bangladesh. Environ Pollut 214:248–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.03.074

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Stempvoort DR, Roy JW, Brown SJ, Bickerton G (2011) Artificial sweeteners as potential tracers in groundwater in urban environments. J Hydrol 401(1–2):126–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.02.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Villegas P, Paredes V, Betancur T, Ribeiro L (2013) Assessing the hydrochemistry of the Urabá Aquifer, Colombia by principal component analysis. J Geochem Explor 134:120–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.08.011

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vineis P, Chan Q, Khan A (2011) Climate change impacts on water salinity and health. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health 1(1):5–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2011.09.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Viswanath NC, Kumar PD, Ammad KK (2015) Statistical analysis of quality of water in various water shed for Kozhikode City, Kerala, India. Aquatic Procedia 4:1078–1085. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqpro.2015.02.136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vu HL, Ng KTW, Richter A (2017) Optimization of first order decay gas generation model parameters for landfills located in cold semi-arid climates. Waste Manag 69:315–324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2017.08.028

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Liu G, Yang J, Huang G, Yao R (2017) Evaluating the effects of irrigation water salinity on water movement, crop yield and water use efficiency by means of a coupled hydrologic/crop growth model. Agric Water Manag 185:13–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2017.01.012

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilcox L (1955) Classification and use of irrigation waters. Circular 969. Washington, DC, USA

Download references

Acknowledgments

The research reported in this paper was supported by a grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-385815). The authors are grateful for their support. The views expressed herein are those of the writers and not necessarily those of our research and funding partners.

Funding

This study was funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (RGPIN-385815).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Systems Engineering, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan, S4S 0A2, Canada

    Conglian Pan, Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng & Amy Richter

Authors
  1. Conglian Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Amy Richter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Kenneth Mei Yee Leung

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pan, C., Ng, K.T.W. & Richter, A. An integrated multivariate statistical approach for the evaluation of spatial variations in groundwater quality near an unlined landfill. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 5724–5737 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3967-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-018-3967-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation