Development and Evaluation of a Water Quality Index for the Iraqi Rivers
Water quality evaluation is fundamental for water resources management. Water quality index (WQI) is an accurate and easily understandable method for assessing water quality for different purposes. In this study, the Iraqi water quality index (Iraq WQI) was constructed to be used to evaluate the Ira...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Hydrology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/7/3/67 |
| _version_ | 1797554238770905088 |
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| author | Salam Hussein Ewaid Salwan Ali Abed Nadhir Al-Ansari Riyadh M. Salih |
| author_facet | Salam Hussein Ewaid Salwan Ali Abed Nadhir Al-Ansari Riyadh M. Salih |
| author_sort | Salam Hussein Ewaid |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Water quality evaluation is fundamental for water resources management. Water quality index (WQI) is an accurate and easily understandable method for assessing water quality for different purposes. In this study, the Iraqi water quality index (Iraq WQI) was constructed to be used to evaluate the Iraqi rivers for drinking. For this purpose, some statistical techniques, experts’ advice, literature reviews, and authors’ experience were used. First, the principal component analysis (PCA) method and the modified Delphi method were used to select the most influential water quality parameters and their relative weights. Second, the quality curves of selected parameters were drawn to calculate the WQI scores basing on the water quality standards. Of twenty-seven parameters, six parameters were chosen to be within the index depending on their effect on water quality in order to reflect the specific characteristics of the Iraqi waters. The Iraq WQI was applied to the Tigris River within Baghdad as a case study and for some sites on other Iraqi rivers, and gave acceptable results. Results revealed that the statistical techniques used in this paper can be applied in all Iraqi rivers considering their specific characteristics. Based on the reliability of the Iraq WQI, there is no longer a need to use Indices designed for water for other countries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:29:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e36e293f691948f2aba2b3d2f6805ebb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-5338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:29:08Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e36e293f691948f2aba2b3d2f6805ebb2023-11-20T13:03:53ZengMDPI AGHydrology2306-53382020-09-01736710.3390/hydrology7030067Development and Evaluation of a Water Quality Index for the Iraqi RiversSalam Hussein Ewaid0Salwan Ali Abed1Nadhir Al-Ansari2Riyadh M. Salih3Technical Institute of Shatra, Southern Technical University, Basra 61001, IraqBiology Deparment, College of Science, University of Al-Qadisiyah, P.O. Box.1895, Diwaniya 58001, IraqDepartment of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, SwedenNational Center for Water Resources Management, Ministry of Water Resources, Baghdad 10045, IraqWater quality evaluation is fundamental for water resources management. Water quality index (WQI) is an accurate and easily understandable method for assessing water quality for different purposes. In this study, the Iraqi water quality index (Iraq WQI) was constructed to be used to evaluate the Iraqi rivers for drinking. For this purpose, some statistical techniques, experts’ advice, literature reviews, and authors’ experience were used. First, the principal component analysis (PCA) method and the modified Delphi method were used to select the most influential water quality parameters and their relative weights. Second, the quality curves of selected parameters were drawn to calculate the WQI scores basing on the water quality standards. Of twenty-seven parameters, six parameters were chosen to be within the index depending on their effect on water quality in order to reflect the specific characteristics of the Iraqi waters. The Iraq WQI was applied to the Tigris River within Baghdad as a case study and for some sites on other Iraqi rivers, and gave acceptable results. Results revealed that the statistical techniques used in this paper can be applied in all Iraqi rivers considering their specific characteristics. Based on the reliability of the Iraq WQI, there is no longer a need to use Indices designed for water for other countries.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/7/3/67principal componentDelphiIraqTigriswater quality index |
| spellingShingle | Salam Hussein Ewaid Salwan Ali Abed Nadhir Al-Ansari Riyadh M. Salih Development and Evaluation of a Water Quality Index for the Iraqi Rivers Hydrology principal component Delphi Iraq Tigris water quality index |
| title | Development and Evaluation of a Water Quality Index for the Iraqi Rivers |
| title_full | Development and Evaluation of a Water Quality Index for the Iraqi Rivers |
| title_fullStr | Development and Evaluation of a Water Quality Index for the Iraqi Rivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and Evaluation of a Water Quality Index for the Iraqi Rivers |
| title_short | Development and Evaluation of a Water Quality Index for the Iraqi Rivers |
| title_sort | development and evaluation of a water quality index for the iraqi rivers |
| topic | principal component Delphi Iraq Tigris water quality index |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/7/3/67 |
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