New techniques for analyzing relationships between energy and water quality

• Main Authors: Kaplan, E., Thode, H.C. Jr.
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; CENTRAL REGION; WATER QUALITY; ENERGY DEMAND; ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; NORTH ATLANTIC REGION; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; GRAPHS; STATISTICS; TABLES; WATER CHEMISTRY; DATA; DATA FORMS; DEMAND; ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY; INFORMATION; MATHEMATICS; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; POPULATIONS; USA; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5513417; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5513417; https://doi.org/10.2172/5513417

Water quality data for 65 variables were obtained for the period 1955 to 1977 and aggregated on a county basis. Measurements were taken primarily in New England and the Middle Atlantic States. When a subset of 138 counties with complete data was used, it was found that county aggregation statistical procedures resulted in data still able to describe the chemical characteristics of natural waters. Energy and socioeconomic data were merged with water quality data for these 138 counties. The path analytic methodology used by geneticists was adapted for use with these combined data to investigate for potential interactions between energy-related activities and water quality. A path diagram was proposed to provide insight into the possible causal nature of these interrelations. Direct and indirect pathways from energy production and use were traced to three factors describing functional attributes of water: conductivity, hardness, and dissolved metallic ions. This analysis explained 25 to 40% of the variance in three water quality factors and indicated the applicability of this technique to regional assessments of water quality impacts due to many human activities.