Water pollution sources assessment by multivariate statistical methods in the Tahtali Basin, Turkey

In this study, multivariate statistical methods including factor, principal component and cluster analysis were applied to surface water quality data sets obtained from the Tahtali River Basin, Turkey. Factor and principal components analysis results revealed that surface water quality was mainly controlled by agricultural uses and domestic discharges. Cluster analysis generated two clusters. Based on the locations of the sites consisted by each cluster and variable concentrations at these stations, it was concluded that agricultural discharges strongly affected north and northeast part of the region. These methods are believed to assist water managers to understand complex nature of water quality issues and determine priorities to improve water quality.