Quantitative description of element concentrations in longitudinal river profiles by multiway PLS models

Partial least squares (PLS) models were used to examine the relationships b etween the distributions of elements in different compartments of a river. These relationships, if existing, enabled predictions to be made of the ele ment concentrations in one compartment by knowing the concentrations in ano ther compartment. The subjects of the study were the element concentrations measured in the water and the sediment of the river Saale as well as in th e water and the suspended matter of the river Elbe. Special emphasis was pl aced on a comparison between two-way and three-way PLS.