Using principal component analysis to monitor spatial and temporal changes in water quality

Chemical, biological and physical data monitored at 12 locations along the Passaic River, New Jersey, during the year 1998 are analyzed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used: (i) to extract the factors associated with the hydrochemistry variability; (ii) to obtain the spatial and temporal changes in the water quality. Solute content, temperature, nutrients and organics were the main patterns extracted. The spatial analysis isolated two stations showing a possible point or non-point source of pollution. This study shows the importance of environmental monitoring associated with simple but powerful statistics to better understand a complex water system.