Water quality assessment of Mananga River [Cebu City, Philippines] using principal component analysis

The Mananga River in the Philippines has been classified as a Class A river in 1997. Since then, the river has significantly deteriorated due to pollution, especially in the downstream area around Talisay in the Cebu region. In this study, the water quality parameters namely, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and total suspended solids (TSS) were assessed using principal component analysis (PCA). Water quality data were obtained from the Department of Environmental and Natural ResourcesEnvironmental Management Bureau Region 7 [Central Visayas]. The water samples were collected on a quarterly basis from 20162019. The effect of weather conditions on water quality and significant relationships between the water quality parameters were determined. In addition, the comparison of water quality in each sampling station was investigated. Results show that about 84.3% of the total variance in water quality can be attributed to two significant principal component scores. Evident correlations were observed such as DO and BOD are negatively correlated, whereas a positive correlation exists between DO to RH and wind speed, BOD to temperature, and TSS to wind speed. Furthermore, negative correlations are observed between DO to temperature and wind direction, BOD to rainfall, and TSS to wind direction and rainfall. In the overall analysis of the results, the heavier the influence of a variable, the more likely it is to contribute to affecting the water quality. Therefore, this can alter the overall distribution within the plots and the correlations among the variables. The findings are a predictive measure of future changes and trends in the Mananga River. Therefore, the results of the present work will be used in environmental monitoring, environmental management, and assistance for the rehabilitation of the Mananga River using PCA.