Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2013.1524.1530HussainHazilia Kamil YusoffMohd RamliMohd Firuz LatifPuziah Abd JuahirHafizan Azwan Mohammed ZawawiMohamed 1220131622Nitrate-nitrogen leaching from agricultural areas is a major
cause for groundwater pollution. Polluted groundwater with high levels of nitrate
is hazardous and cause adverse health effects. Human consumption of water with
elevated levels of NO3¯N has been linked to the infant disorder
methemoglobinemia and also to non-Hodgkins
disease lymphoma in adults. This research aims to study the temporal patterns
and source apportionment of nitratenitrogen
leaching in a paddy soil at Ladang Merdeka Ismail Mulong in Kelantan, Malaysia.
The complex data matrix (128x16) of nitrate-nitrogen parameters was subjected
to multivariate analysis mainly Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Discriminant
Analysis (DA). PCA extracted four principal components from this data set which
explained 86.4% of the total variance. The most important contributors were
soil physical properties confirmed using Alyuda Forecaster software (R2
= 0.98). Discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the temporal variation in
soil nitrate-nitrogen on leaching process. Discriminant analysis gave four parameters
(hydraulic head, evapotranspiration, rainfall and temperature) contributing
more than 98% correct assignments in temporal analysis. DA allowed reduction
in dimensionality of the large data set which defines the four operating parameters
most efficient and economical to be monitored for temporal variations. This
knowledge is important so as to protect the precious groundwater from contamination
with nitrate.]]>Abdul-Wahab, S.A., C.S. Bakheit and S.M. Al-Alawi, 20052012631271Almasri, M.N. and J.J. Kaluarachchi,200520851871Ajdary, K., D.K. Singh, A.K. Singh and M. Khanna,2007891528APHA,199818th Edn.,ASTM,19951995Babiker, I.S., M.A.A. Mohamed, H. Terao, K. Kato and K. Ohta,20042910091017Beaudoin, N., J.K. Saad, C. van Laethem, J.M. Machet, J. Maucorps and B. Mary,2005111292310Campbell, C.A., G.P. Lafond, R.P. Zentner and Y.W. Jame,199423195201Chen, K., J.J. Jiao, J. Huang and R. Huang,2007147771780Di, H.J. and K.C. Cameron,200264237256Goncalves, C., A. Alves, C.G. Joaquim, B.E. da Silva and M.F. Alpendurada,2006560164171Laaksoharju, M., C. Skarman and E. Skarman,199914861871Li, Y. and J. Zhang,1999392532Lovchinov, V. and S. Tsakovski,20064277298Mandal, U.K., D.N. Warrington, A.K. Bhardwaj, A. Bar-Tal, l. Kautsky, D. Minz and G.J. Levy,2008144189197Odhiambo, L.O. and V.V.N. Murty,199630185199Pathak, B.K., F. Kazama and I. Toshiaki,20042004Rajmohan, N. and L. Elango,200547820830Silva, R.G., S.M. Holub, E.E. Jorgensen and A.N.M. Ashanuzzaman,2005109346359Singh, K.P., A. Malik and S. Sinha,2005538355374Singh, K.B., P.R. Gajri and V.K. Arora,2001497795Vaselli, O., A. Buccianti, C. de Siena, C. Bini, N. Coradossi and M. Angelone,199775117123