Spatial and Temporal Trends in Surface Water Quality and Pollution Sources in Ben Tre, Vietnam: A Principal Component Analysis/Factor Analysis-based Approach
Surface water quality is vital for maintaining ecological health and supporting sustainable development, particularly in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, where water is heavily utilized. However, rapid urbanization and economic activities have led to water pollution. This study assessed the spatial and t...
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Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Applied Environmental Research |
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| Online Access: | https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/aer/article/view/260908 |
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| author | Nguyen Xuan Tong Luu Tang Phuc Khang |
| author_facet | Nguyen Xuan Tong Luu Tang Phuc Khang |
| author_sort | Nguyen Xuan Tong |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Surface water quality is vital for maintaining ecological health and supporting sustainable development, particularly in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, where water is heavily utilized. However, rapid urbanization and economic activities have led to water pollution. This study assessed the spatial and temporal variations in surface water quality in Ben Tre Province from January 2022 to December 2023 using 384 samples collected across dry and rainy seasons and two zones (headwater streams and cities). The water quality index (WQI) was calculated on the basis of 15 parameters, and principal component analysis/factor analysis was applied to identify pollution sources. Five key factors influencing water quality, explaining 66.95% of the total variance. These factors reflect the impacts of urbanization, agriculture, aquaculture, and natural conditions, with notable spatial differences in BOD₅, COD, nutrients, and suspended solids. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis was applied to distinguish pollution vulnerability, In the dry season, two clusters emerged: headwater sites with good water quality and urban sites with elevated BOD₅, COD, nutrients, TSS, and coliforms. During the rainy season, three clusters were identified: a main group reflecting moderate runoff effects, a subset of sites with turbidity and nutrient spikes, and a single outlier (S35) with extreme iron and coliform levels under flood conditions. The WQI values revealed that water quality was better during the rainy season, with urban areas generally exhibiting higher WQIs than headwater streams. Correlation analysis highlighted the strong relationship between BOD₅ and COD (r = 0.99), while both were negatively correlated with WQI (r = -0.46 and r = -0.40, respectively). DO was positively correlated with WQI (r = 0.35) and inversely related to NH₄⁺-N (r = -0.34). Fe was strongly positively correlated with WQI (r = 0.77). The organic and nutrient pollution exceeds regulatory limits in some areas, highlighting the need for improved wastewater management.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f28e4f0e374e4b5fa3d8f262a51e9c61 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2287-075X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Environmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Environmental Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-f28e4f0e374e4b5fa3d8f262a51e9c612025-08-20T03:44:50ZengEnvironmental Research Institute, Chulalongkorn UniversityApplied Environmental Research2287-075X2025-06-01472Spatial and Temporal Trends in Surface Water Quality and Pollution Sources in Ben Tre, Vietnam: A Principal Component Analysis/Factor Analysis-based ApproachNguyen Xuan Tong0Luu Tang Phuc Khang 1Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamFaculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Thailand Surface water quality is vital for maintaining ecological health and supporting sustainable development, particularly in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, where water is heavily utilized. However, rapid urbanization and economic activities have led to water pollution. This study assessed the spatial and temporal variations in surface water quality in Ben Tre Province from January 2022 to December 2023 using 384 samples collected across dry and rainy seasons and two zones (headwater streams and cities). The water quality index (WQI) was calculated on the basis of 15 parameters, and principal component analysis/factor analysis was applied to identify pollution sources. Five key factors influencing water quality, explaining 66.95% of the total variance. These factors reflect the impacts of urbanization, agriculture, aquaculture, and natural conditions, with notable spatial differences in BOD₅, COD, nutrients, and suspended solids. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis was applied to distinguish pollution vulnerability, In the dry season, two clusters emerged: headwater sites with good water quality and urban sites with elevated BOD₅, COD, nutrients, TSS, and coliforms. During the rainy season, three clusters were identified: a main group reflecting moderate runoff effects, a subset of sites with turbidity and nutrient spikes, and a single outlier (S35) with extreme iron and coliform levels under flood conditions. The WQI values revealed that water quality was better during the rainy season, with urban areas generally exhibiting higher WQIs than headwater streams. Correlation analysis highlighted the strong relationship between BOD₅ and COD (r = 0.99), while both were negatively correlated with WQI (r = -0.46 and r = -0.40, respectively). DO was positively correlated with WQI (r = 0.35) and inversely related to NH₄⁺-N (r = -0.34). Fe was strongly positively correlated with WQI (r = 0.77). The organic and nutrient pollution exceeds regulatory limits in some areas, highlighting the need for improved wastewater management. https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/aer/article/view/260908Factor analysisPollution sourcesPrincipal component analysisSpatial and temporal variationBung Binh Thien, fecal microbes, organic matters, PCA, pollution, surface water quality |
| spellingShingle | Nguyen Xuan Tong Luu Tang Phuc Khang Spatial and Temporal Trends in Surface Water Quality and Pollution Sources in Ben Tre, Vietnam: A Principal Component Analysis/Factor Analysis-based Approach Applied Environmental Research Factor analysis Pollution sources Principal component analysis Spatial and temporal variation Bung Binh Thien, fecal microbes, organic matters, PCA, pollution, surface water quality |
| title | Spatial and Temporal Trends in Surface Water Quality and Pollution Sources in Ben Tre, Vietnam: A Principal Component Analysis/Factor Analysis-based Approach |
| title_full | Spatial and Temporal Trends in Surface Water Quality and Pollution Sources in Ben Tre, Vietnam: A Principal Component Analysis/Factor Analysis-based Approach |
| title_fullStr | Spatial and Temporal Trends in Surface Water Quality and Pollution Sources in Ben Tre, Vietnam: A Principal Component Analysis/Factor Analysis-based Approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial and Temporal Trends in Surface Water Quality and Pollution Sources in Ben Tre, Vietnam: A Principal Component Analysis/Factor Analysis-based Approach |
| title_short | Spatial and Temporal Trends in Surface Water Quality and Pollution Sources in Ben Tre, Vietnam: A Principal Component Analysis/Factor Analysis-based Approach |
| title_sort | spatial and temporal trends in surface water quality and pollution sources in ben tre vietnam a principal component analysis factor analysis based approach |
| topic | Factor analysis Pollution sources Principal component analysis Spatial and temporal variation Bung Binh Thien, fecal microbes, organic matters, PCA, pollution, surface water quality |
| url | https://ph01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/aer/article/view/260908 |
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