Application of Chemometric Analysis for Water Quality Assessment in Bukit Goh, Kuantan

The disturbance of rivers can significantly reduce water quality, ecosystem health, and environmental safety. This study assesses water quality and heavy metal contamination in the Bukit Goh region of Kuantan. Water samples were collected from Sungai Kuantan, Sungai Riau, and Sungai Pinang for physicochemical analysis, both on-site and in the laboratory. The Water Quality Index (WQI) classified pollution levels, revealing that Sungai Kuantan was slightly polluted (Class II), while Sungai Riau and Sungai Pinang were heavily polluted (Class III). Heavy metal analysis showed iron (Fe) at 67 ppb and aluminum (Al) at 2.36 ppb as the highest concentrations, followed by zinc (Zn) at 0.14 ppb and others at lower levels. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) indicated strong correlations among various parameters, such as turbidity with total suspended solids (TSS) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) with ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N). Temperature also had positive links to chemical oxygen demand (COD) and heavy metals, indicating seasonal variations in pollution. These findings underscore the urgent need for improved water management and effective pollution control strategies to safeguard aquatic ecosystems and public health.