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

Abstract Partial least squares (PLS) models were used to examine the relationships between the distributions of elements in different compartments of a river. These relationships, if existing, enabled predictions to be made of the element concentrations in one compartment by knowing the concentrations in another 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 the water and the suspended matter of the river Elbe. Special emphasis was placed on a comparison between two-way and three-way PLS.