Evaluation of surface water quality characteristics
by using multivariate statistical techniques: A case study
of the Euphrates river basin, Turkey
Cansu Filik İşçen
&
Arzu Altın
&
Birdal Şenoğlu
&
H. Serhan Yavuz
Received: 22 November 2007 / Accepted: 29 February 2008 / Published online: 20 May 2008
#
Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2008
Abstract The surface water quality of the Euphrates
river basin in Turkey are evaluated by using the
multivariate statistical techniques known as factor
analysis (FA) and multidimensional scaling (MDS)
analysis. When FA was applied to the water quality
data obtained from the 15 different surface water
quality monitoring stations, two factors were identi-
fied, which were responsible from the 86.02% of the
total variance of the water quality in the Euphrates
river basin. The first factor called the urban land use
factor explained 44.20% of the total variance and the
second factor called the agricultural use factor
explained 41.81% of the total variance. MDS tech-
nique showed that electrical conductivity (EC),
percent sodium (Na%) and total salt are the most
important variables causing difference in the water
quality analysis.
Keywords Euphrates river basin
.
Factor analysis
.
Multidimensional scaling
.
Statistical techniques
.
Water quality
Introduction
The Euphrates river which is around 2,800 km long is
located in the southeastern part of Turkey. It is the
longest river in southwestern Asia. It is formed from
the Karasu and Murat tributary rivers. The Euphrates
river then crosses into Syria flowing southeast and join
with the Tigris river at Iraq, it finally reach into the
Persian Gulf (Tosun et al. 2007). The average flow of
the Euphrates river is 32 bmc/year (billion cubic
meters/year) annually. Turkey contributes 90% of the
average flow of the Euphrates, and the remaining 10%
originates from Syria (Anderson 1986; Beaumont
1992). Approximately, 1,777,000 ha land in Turkey,
800,000 ha land in Syria and 2,500,000 ha land in Iraq
are irrigated by the waters of the Euphrates river
(Altınbilek 2004).
Environ Monit Assess (2009) 151:259–264
DOI 10.1007/s10661-008-0267-9
C. F. İşçen
Department of Elementary Education,
Faculty of Education, Eskişehir Osmangazi University,
Meşelik 26480, Eskişehir, Turkey
e-mail: cfilik@ogu.edu.tr
A. Altın(*)
Department of Statistics, Faculty of Arts and Science,
Eskişehir Osmangazi University,
Meşelik 26480, Eskişehir, Turkey
e-mail: aaltin@ogu.edu.tr
B. Şenoğlu
Department of Statistics, Faculty of Science,
Ankara University,
06100 Tandoğan, Ankara, Turkey
e-mail: senoglu@science.ankara.edu.tr
H. S. Yavuz
Department of Electric and Electronic Engineering,
Eskişehir Osmangazi University,
Meşelik 26480, Eskişehir, Turkey
e-mail: hsyavuz@ogu.edu.tr