Application of Multiple Linear Regression and Manova to Evaluate Health Impacts Due to Changing River Water Quality

Abstract

Rivers are important systems which provide water to fulfill human needs. However, excessive human uses over the years have led to deterioration in quality of river causing, causing health problems from contaminated water. This study focuses on the application of statistical techniques, Multiple Linear Regression model and MANOVA to assess health impacts due to pollution in Cauvery river stretch in Srirangapatna. In this study, using Multiple Linear Regression, it is found that health impact level is 60.8% dependent on water quality parameters of BOD, COD, TDS, TC and FC. The t-statistics and their associated 2-tailed p-values indicate that COD and TDS produces health impacts compared to BOD, TC and FC, when their effects are put together across all the six sampling stations in Srirangapatna. Further Pearson correlation Matrix shows highly significant positive correlation amongst parameters across all stations indicating possibility of common sources of origin that might be anthropogenic. Also graphs are plotted for individual parameters across all stations and it reveals that COD and TDS values are significant across all sampling stations, though their values are higher in impact stations, causing health impacts.