Evaluation of spatial and temporal variation in Karun River water quality during five decades (1968–2014) |
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| Authors: | Mehdi Ahmadmoazzam Amal Saki Malehi Sahand Jorfi Bahman Ramavandi Mehdi Ahmadi |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Student Research Committee, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran;2. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran;3. Department of Biostatistics, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran;4. Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran;5. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran |
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| Abstract: | In the present study, the multivariate statistical technique cluster analysis (CA) is used to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations in the water quality data for the Karun River, which was gathered during 46 years of monitoring (from 1968 to 2014). The data recorded electrical conductivity (EC) in the river at six water monitoring stations along its course. The mean of EC was 972.05 ± 365.466 micromhos per centimeter (μmhos/cm) at the most upstream station and showed an increase to 1458.41 ± 675.048 μmhos/cm at the most downstream of the stations. By using hierarchical CA, the six sampling stations were grouped into three clusters of similar characteristics, which may be a result of different land uses in proximity to the stations. Furthermore, two‐way analysis of variance showed that EC had a significant correlation (p < 0.001) with the season, and the mean of the pollution depended on the level of the cluster and the season (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). |
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| Keywords: | cluster analysis Karun river water quality spatial variation temporal variation |
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