Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) is a multivariate factor analysis technique used successfully among others at the US Environmental Protection Agency for the chemometric evaluation and modelling of environmental data sets. Compared to other methods it offers some advantage that consent to better resolve the problem under analysis. In this report, the algorithm to solve PMF and the respective computer application, PMF2, is illustrated and, in particular, different parameters involved in the computation are examined.
Finally, a first application study on PMF2 parameters setting is conducted with the help of a real environmental data-set produced in the laboratories of the JRC Rural, Water and Ecosystem Resource Unit.JRC.H.5-Rural, water and ecosystem resource
