Effect of elemental composition assigned to antrotopic pollution on the quality of the water and sediment of the Marrecas river (PR, Brazil) as highlighted by multivariate statistical analyses

Abstract

In recent years, several environmental pollutants have been monitored in surface waters and sediments. However, few studies apply multivariate statistics to identify the main components and correlate them temporally and spatially. In this sense, the present study sought to monitor the quality of water and sediments in the Rio Marrecas/Brazil, through the analysis of physicochemical parameters and trace elements, as well as to identifying sources of contamination, using multivariate statistics. For this purpose, sampling was carried out in nine locations for a period of 12 months. The Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence (TXRF) technique was used to quantify the 15 elements identified in water and sediment samples. Through multivariate statistical analyses, the most significant elements, their correlations and possible pollutant sources were defined, and the pollution index (HPI) and assessment index (HEI) of heavy metals were applied. The parameters pH and BOD₅ do not comply with Brazilian legislation. Based on PCA and Spearman correlation, there was strong evidence of contamination of the water naturally, composed of the elements Ti, V, Mn, Fe, and of anthropogenic origin composed of the elements Ca, Ni, Cu, Zn. These findings provide insights to determine the impacts of heavy metals on human health and the environment.

Keywords:

• Water quality
• sediment quality
• heavy metal
• heavy metal pollution index
• multivariate statistics

Disclosure statement

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [L.H.], upon reasonable request.