Factor Analysis on the Variability of Physicochemical Parameters of Obutu Lake, Ndikelionwu, Anambra State

This study examined the variability of physicochemical parameters at Obutu Lake, Ndikelionwu, Anambra State, Nigeria. The objective of the study was to determine the parameters that can adequately explain the variability of the physico-chemical parameters without loss of useful information. The data used in the study was obtained through secondary source. The Factor analysis and rank correlation was used to analyze the data for the study. Findings of the study revealed that inverse relationship exists among temperature and dissolved oxygen, Conductivity, alkalinity, Nitrate-nitrogen concentration, and Phosphate-phosphorus concentration while pH and transparency has positive relationship with temperature. Further result revealed that dissolved oxygen was found to have positive relationship with conductivity, alkalinity, Nitrate-nitrogen concentration and Phosphate-phosphorus concentration while transparency was found to have negative relationship with dissolved oxygen. Four factors were retained using the maximum likelihood extraction approach for the factor analysis because the factors were able to explain above 80% of total variability. Also, Phosphate-phosphorus conc., alkalinity, transparency, dissolved O2, Nitrate-nitrogen Conc. and conductivity were identified as the key physic chemical parameters that explained over 80% of the variability attributed to the model. Hence, Phosphatephosphorus conc., alkalinity, transparency, dissolved O2, Nitratenitrogen Conc. and conductivity are consistent in explaining the physic chemical parameters of Obutu Lake with loss of useful information.