Integrated Multivariate and Index-Based Assessment of Seasonal Water Quality and Heavy Metal Risks Surrounding a Coal Power Plant in Coastal Bangladesh

Integrated Multivariate and Index-Based Assessment of Seasonal Water Quality and Heavy Metal Risks Surrounding a Coal Power Plant in Coastal Bangladesh | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Integrated Multivariate and Index-Based Assessment of Seasonal Water Quality and Heavy Metal Risks Surrounding a Coal Power Plant in Coastal Bangladesh Sumit Kumar Biswas, Md. Mohayminul Islam, Md. Kumruzzaman, Md. Shaikat Chowdhury, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8914994/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study evaluates the water quality in areas surrounding a coal power plant in the Southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh, with a focus on potential risks to aquaculture suitability and drinking water security. To improve regional relevance, monsoonal hydrological variability was explicitly considered as a primary driver of water quality in this coastal deltaic environment. Multivariate analyses including the PERMANOVA, PCA and HCA was employed to identify patterns, group similarities and statistically quantify seasonal differences in water quality. Additionally, index-based analyses (CCME WQI, HPI, HEI and CF) were used to simplify the overall water status and pollution intensity for aquaculture and drinking purposes. The multivariate analysis indicated strong seasonal contrast, with the dry season showing high iconic concentrations whereas the wet monsoon was influenced by elevated turbidity, organic loads and metal concentrations. The CCME WQI indicated that the water suitability for aquaculture declined notably during the wet season with 50% of the stations shifting from fair to marginal category mostly due to oxygen depletion and elevated heavy metal contents. Significant heavy metal contamination was found at multiple locations (e.g., S3, S6, and S8), particularly during the monsoon season, rendering them unfit for drinking water use. Furthermore, the spatial distribution patterns revealed high contamination zones near the discharge pathway. These localized effects highlight the sensitivity of coastal-marine transition zones to coal-based industrial operations and underscore the need for continuous monitoring and sustainable management in coastal areas. Coastal water quality assessment Seasonal variability Coal power plant discharge Heavy metal contamination Multivariate statistical analysis CCME Water Quality Index Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8914994","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":617642566,"identity":"f11fb258-1cfd-4b84-bdec-5ea9539fb3a8","order_by":0,"name":"Sumit Kumar Biswas","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABFElEQVRIie2PMUvDQBTHD4RMV2+TJ4HeV3gli2A/zB2FLG1qwSVjpzpJ14gfwSVwkPmg4JTQNcXFL1CIi5wgaJJaEUxS3ITeb7l38P/x/o8Qi+WfogkRwqlHHFJWvWJ2QNHfyszvn88rBQ+uEWI3FSsPdb2uPc2jsVwVxJ+esnTwYvBEqvWDLJ6RcHamGxXMg7gsNrl2YOK5FB2Z5FsFZbHB3b1oVqBWQrmAXuwSpKWSxZUi8KlZ4dFeYZl6MwhSRZkyXQr5KiYXJEiAInrIbpPOLZhuY52iX95y9XpJUfQh7yUXAqH1Fn4TqCIMR1O+fBxtzPsHZctMbUw45MxtKbbb9fMDdRI64r9g+i9pi8ViOQI+ASphZnOoSlrKAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5435-2232","institution":"Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sumit","middleName":"Kumar","lastName":"Biswas","suffix":""},{"id":617642567,"identity":"f4936a90-df49-4678-91d1-cf7cc4a96655","order_by":1,"name":"Md. 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