Multivariate analysis of physicochemical parameters of water produced by a commercial atmospheric water generator (AWG) in an industrial area in South Africa

ABSTRACT Freshwater scarcity poses a significant threat to humankind globally, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable technologies like commercial atmospheric water generator (AWG) technologies. The AWG produces large volumes of water from the air; thus, this study evaluated the quality of atmospheric water produced by an AWG situated in an industrial area using multivariate statistical analysis. Twelve AWG water samples were analysed for 22 physicochemical parameters. The analysis found that pH, electrical conductivity, water colour, ammonia, and nickel occasionally exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) and South African Water Quality Guideline (SAWQG). The findings suggest that in heavily polluted areas, water produced by AWG may be suitable for drinking with careful monitoring of specific contaminants such as ammonia and nickel, which may require post-treatment (filtration). The study area's AWG-produced water quality is impacted by six factors explaining 90.461% of the total variance that originate from anthropogenic sources (i.e., steel and metal production, vehicle fuel combustion, vehicle abrasion, traffic activities, agricultural, coal combustion and biomass burning, and industrial emissions) and natural sources (soil erosions and leaching of rocks). The study has shown the effectiveness of using multivariate statistical analysis in monitoring atmospheric water quality, which could have a significant impact on water treatment.