360-364Physico-chemical
parameters such as salinity, pH, DO, BOD, chlorophyll-a, nutrients (NO2
N, NO3-N, NH4-N, PO4-P, total
phosphorus) and major ions (Ca2+, Mg2+, F) were studied
during February-March, 1994 in the coastal waters off Orissa. Data comprising
13 variables obtained from 38 water samples have been subjected to R-mode
factor analysis so as to understand the sources, the processes occurring and
the influence of various physico-chemical parameters on coastal water quality.
About 67.8 % of variance has accounted for three factors such as (i) river
run-off or terrestrial input; high positive
loading on
nutrients with high negative loading on salinity implying that the nutrient
economy in the coastal waters off Orissa is primarily dependent on the
magnitude of river run-off; (ii) estuarine discharges which include remineralisation
of organically bound materials into its dissolved inorganic form or oxidation
product of ammonia; high positive loading on nitrite and high negative loading
of pH and ammonia in second factor suggest the possibility of
oxidation of ammonia to nitrite and (iii) land drainage (including waste
discharged from domestic sewage, fertilizer plant and fresh water run-oft) has
significant influence on
fluoride content in coastal water.</span