SHORT COMMUNICATION
Using Factor Analysis to Evaluate Sediment
Quality of a Significant Mining
Area in Turkey
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1
Anadolu University, Applied Environmental Research Centre, Eskişehir, Turkey
2
Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Department of Environmental Protection and Control, Eskişehir, Turkey
3
Trakya University, İpsala Vocational School, Department of Laboratory Technology, İpsala/Edirne, Turkey
Submission date: 2018-02-09
Final revision date: 2018-03-29
Acceptance date: 2018-04-10
Online publication date: 2018-12-27
Publication date: 2019-02-18
Corresponding author
Cem Tokatlı
Trakya University, Trakya University, İpsala Vocational School, Edirne, İpsala, 22400 Edirne, Turkey
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2019;28(3):2021-2025
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ABSTRACT
Statistical applications have been used to evaluate ecosystem quality in recent years. Factor analysis
(FA) is a powerful multivariate statistical technique widely used to evaluate environmental pollution.
Seydisuyu Stream Basin is located in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey and it is one of the most
important branches of the Sakarya River. There is a globally important boron mine on the basin and the
system is exposed to intensive agricultural, domestic, and industrial pollution. The aim of this study
is to evaluate the sediment quality of Seydisuyu Stream Basin using FA. For this purpose, some micro
and macro element accumulations including Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, B, Pb, Fe, K, Mn, and Mg in sediment
were investigated by collected samples on the basin from 15 stations (including 3 from Çatören Dam
Lake and 2 from the Kunduzlar Dam Lake) in summer 2012. According to FA results, three factors
explained 90.95% of the total variance. The first factor (F1), the “urban-industrial factor,” explained 47%
of total variance; the second factor (F2), the “agricultural factor,” explained 28.31% of total variance;
and the third factor (F3), named the “geological-mining factor,” explained 15.63% of total variance.