HR: 0830h
AN: H51C-1085    [PDF]
TI: Water Quality Assessment: Statistical Versus Classification Approach
AU: * Said, A
EM: asaid@eng.usf.edu
AF: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 United States
AU: Ross, M A
EM: mross@eng.usf.edu
AF: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 United States
AU: Stevens, D K
EM: david.stevens@usu.edu
AF: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84321 United States
AB: Water quality assessment requires the acquisition and analysis of data. An efficient assessment involves the use of statistics and other methods such as data classifications. Statistical techniques range from developing plots of data to iterative model building and parameter estimation. Water quality assessment based on data classifications such as water quality indices has some limitations. Water quality indices formulas are not used as absolute measures of the degree of pollution or the actual water quality in a stream. These formulas result in inherent loss of information. However, in statistical approaches, comparisons and analysis of data demonstrate complications that arise if the assessment results obtained from one data set are used to compare with the results from a different data set, unless all data sets are evaluated together simultaneously and have the same types of data. Thus, a statistical approach to evaluate the water quality is less applicable than the water quality index classification approach, which is considered as more objective and repeatable. Because of the requirements from some international or regional directives on critical issues related to water pollution, most countries need to report the status of their water quality based on a classification scheme. Although different countries are applying different classification schemes and the assessment approach in the index classification schemes differs greatly, they can be combined together into a single assessment technique that can be represented as index class value. In this study, a comparison between the classification and statistical approaches will be given through sufficient case studies to judge which method is better to understand and design systems for environmental protection.
DE: 1800 HYDROLOGY
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting