Application of multivariate statistical analysis and a geographic information system to trace element contamination in the Chungnam Coal Mine area, Korea

In order to examine contamination in the Chungnam Coal Mine area, rock, str eam sediment and water samples were collected and analyzed for trace elemen ts. In order to compile the drainage-based geochemical maps, catchment basi ns were calculated using aspects of DEM (data elevation model) and stream-l ine segments. The constructed DEMs with 3 types of resolution were examined , these need to be properly used for well-shaped and accurate catchment bas ins. The stream-line segments and sampling points were also considered as a target image for watershed segments and it was found that the stream-line segments as target images were better role at reflecting the catchment area rather than the sampling points. It is important that the geochemical data bases were manipulated to present the various phenomena. Factor analysis in R-mode was used to integrate geochemical data, and the input data for fact or analysis were the concentrations of 12 trace elements in stream sediment and 3 anion concentrations and pH values in stream water. Using a maximum likelihood scheme, eigenvalues that explained about 90% of total variance w ere established and 4 factors were selected. Factors 1 and 2 indicated rela tive enrichment of trace elements, factor 3 was explained by human activiti es of residents and factor 4 was related to the pH of stream water. The dra inage-based geochemical maps with 4 kinds of factor scores were compiled. ( C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.