Principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted using hydrochemical data in four testbeds (A to D) built for the development of site characterization technologies to assess the hydrochemical processes controlling the hydrochemistry in each site. The PCA results indicated the nitrogen loading to deep bedrock aquifers through permeable fractures in Testbed A, the chemical weathering enhanced with the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in Testbed B, the reductive dechlorination in Testbed C, and the different hydrochemistry depending on the depth to bedrock in Testbed D, consistent with the characteristics of each site. In Testbeds B and D, outliers seemed to affect the PCA result probably due to the small number of samples, whereas the PCA result was still consistent with site characteristics. This study result indicates that the PCA is widely applicable to hydrochemical data for the assessment of major hydrochemical processes in contamination sites, which is useful for site characterization when combined with other site characterization technologies, e.g., geological survey, geophysical investigation, borehole logging. It is suggested that PCA is applied in contaminated sites to interpret hydrochemical data not only for the distribution of contamination levels but also for the assessment of major hydrochemical processes and contamination sources.

Keywords: Hydrochemistry, Site characterization, Principal component analysis (PCA), Hydrochemical processes, Sources