Student Team: NO
ComVis with Vega Light
Eclipse (with Python)
Photoshop
Notepad++
Excel
Approximately how many hours were spent working on this submission in total? 100
May we post your submission in the Visual Analytics Benchmark Repository after VAST Challenge 2018 is complete? YES
Video
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YBVWqzJoSj26WYWFam59y482Tn49D7bj/view?usp=sharing
Questions
First, we investigate if the measurements of chemicals/elements presence from the collected samples are violating the allowed limits. The limits are determined from the drinking water regulations (USA, Austria, and Germany). However, some elements are not regulated. In a pre-processing step we classify each chemical measurement to determine it is within or outside the allowed thresholds. We also classify if an element, when exceeding its limits, is dangerous for humans and/or the environment.
We brush all measurements exceeding the limit values (thresholds) and are dangerous for humans and the environment (Figure 1.1). The highest number of such measurements can be found between 2005 to 2010. However, in that time period the largest number of samples were taken. Between 1999 and 2000 a lot of critical measurements are found (compared to the total number of measurements).
Figure 1.1: Histograms showing measurements exceeding the limits and are dangerous for humans and the environment: “Total samples per year” (top left), “Total samples per element” (bottom left), “Level of hazardousness” (top right), “Exceeding the limits” (bottom right).
Using a heatmap representation of the data (Figure 1.2) we analyzed the violation of limits per sampling site:
Figure 1.2: Overview/heatmap of all measured elements at Busarakhan. Every bin represents the maximum sampled value over 2 weeks. Purple indicates that the value exceeded the limits. Pink indicates that at least one sample was taken and no sample exceeded the limit. White indicates that no sample was taken.
The Small Multiples Function Plot (SMFP) view in Figure 1.3 shows for each location all measurements exceeding limits. The other measurements can be faded out (optionally). The SMFP view allows us to analyse the measurements in more details compared to the corresponding heatmap view. It help to analyse the measurement over all elements and all location and to analyse dangerous regions over all element and all locations.
Figure 1.3: Small Multiples Function Plot shows for each location all measurements exceeding limits.
Measurements: Fecal_coliforms, Fecal_streptcoppi, and Total_coliforms. Results from humans or animals:
Figure 1.4: At Kohsoom, very high readings of fecal coliforms in March/April 2003 and all fecals in August 2009, January 2010, March 2011.
Figure 1.5: At Chai, high readings of fecal coliforms in September and October 2003, February, September and October 2008, February, September and October 2009.
Figure 1.6: High fecal coliforms readings in Somchair (March 2008; June, December 2009).
Naphthaline had high values of Naphthaline in Boonsri, and Kohsoom. Naphthaline can result in inflammation of respiratory passages and cancer (it is toxic for liver, and kidney).
Chlorondine had very high readings from 2014 to 2016. Then, at the beginning of 2016 a significant decrease can be observed. An exception is a single peak in May 2016 at Kohsoom (Figure 1.7).
Figure 1.7: Chlorondine readings (all locations).
Total Phosphorus could result in excessive growing of plants. It is found in Chai (December 2006), Decha (April 2009), and Sadka (December 2013), as shown in Figure 1.8. A related parameter is Orthophosphat-Phosphorus because Total Phosphorus is the sum of organic phosphorus compounds and anorganic phosphorus compounds like orthophosphat phophorus. Both curves are very similar, but there is a peak in Orthophosphat Phosphorus in Chai at end of 2006 that could be an anomaly. That is similar to total dissolved phosphorus, which has a peak in July 2015 at Kohsoom.
Figure 1.8: Orthophosphat Phosphorus (top) and Total Phosphorus (bottom) readings.
The selection of readings from from the waterway sample dataset based on selected location(s) is shown in Figure 2.1. The locations are brushed in a histogram (Figure 2.1 bottom). The corresponding readings are shown in Figure 2.1 top.
Figure 2.1: Water samples readings based on the location, from 1998 to 2016.
The findings are as follows:
We also found an anomaly in the sampling of the water temperature. From Summer 2015 to the end of 2017 there are many samples in Chai (see the violet bars in Figure 2.2).
Figure 2.2: A significant increase in the number of water temperature samples between Summer 2015 and the end of 2017.
Figure 2.3: Similar; the readings for p-p-DDE, p-p-DDD, gamma Hexachlorocyclohexane, beta Hexaxchlorocyclohexane,
Figure 2.4: Sampled together; the reading for PCB (180,138,101) and Naphtalene.
Figure 2.5: The number of samples per year.
Figure 2.6: The readings for Aldrin, Dieldrin, Metolachor, Alachlor.
A more uniform sampling (sampling interval, sampling pro sites of the elements) of all parameters would simplify the understanding of the comprehensive situation across the Preserve.
If not all elements should be tracked, at least the sums should be. For example, Dissolved Organic Carbon, Total Organic Carbon, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand. If such reading exceeds a critical value, other parameters should be tracked.
We detected high Methylosmoline readings at Kohsoom and Somchair (Figure 3.1). In Chai the readings are not so high. This is significant because Kohsoom is near the approximate location of the waste dumping.
Figure 3.1: High Methylosmoline readings at Kohsoom and Somchair.
The Methylosmoline is the only element dangerous for the Rose Crested Blue Pipit (changes suddenly in 2015). Ammonium, which is also very high, is always high (no sudden change), and other parameters like total hardness, and total nitrogen are not dangerous for birds. However, perhaps the element that causes deaths of the pipits is not tracked in those years.
High levels of Ammonium (higher than 0.5 mg/l are dangerous for fishes, but not for humans) in all stations over nine years (four years if it is measured after 2009) is an indicator for slurry which is more dangerous for humans.
This also results in exceeding the limits for total nitrogen. Total nitrogen parameter is the sum of ammonia, organic and reduced nitrogen and nitrate-nitrite (see https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/totalnitrogen.pdf).
We found several exceedings of Dildrin. Dildrin is very toxic (in particular to fishes). High values are measured in Boonsri, Kannika, Chai, Kohsoom, Somchair, Sadka, Busarakhan from 2005 to 2007.
Dissolved oxygen is too low at 1998- 2001, 2005,06,2010, 2013-2017. This is important for fishes because if it is to low, the fish die (Somchair, Kohsoom, Chai, Busarakhan).
In Chai we found high values of Aldrin, which is an insecticide between 2005-2008. This insecticide is extremely toxic for fishes. Alachlor, which is also toxic for fishes is found in Boonsri, and Kohsoom (2005-2008).
Several elements are not measured in recent years. The fecal colonies, total colonies, and Fecal streptococci are not tested for Kohsoom since 2014. Before, a lot of violations of the critical value of fecal uniforms are detected.
Also there is AOX (Adsorbable organic halides). It captures harmless and toxic diocine and furianes (group parameter). (Kohsoom on 28-Jan-2010, and 19-Apr-2013, readings 53 µg/l; Boonsri on 17-May-2013, reading 54 µg/l). In Kohsoom, and Boonsri the AOX value is very high, which could indicate some toxic elements.
Some elements were not tracked between 2015 and 2016, i.e., 1-2-3, and 1-2-4 Trichlorobencene, Acenaphthene, Acenaphthylene, Alachor, Aldrin, Auminium, Anthracene, Barium, Benzo(a)anthracene, Benzo(a)pyrene, Benzo(b)fluoranthene, Berillium, Boron, Carbonates, Cesium, Cyanides, Chrysene, Dieldrin, Dissolved-organic-carbon, Endosulfan (alpha), Endosulfan (beta), Endrin, Iron, Inorganic nitrogen, Indeno(1-2-3-c-d)pyrene, Hexachlorobenzene, Heptachloroepoxide, Heptachlor, Fluorene, Fluoranthene, p-p-DDE, p-p-DDD, beta - Hexaxchlorocyclohexane, alpha- Hexaxchlorocyclohexane, Trifluralin, Total extractable matter, Isodin, Methoxychlor, Metolachlor, Napthalene, PAHs, PCBs, Pentachlorobenzene, Pyrene, Selenium, Silica (Si02), Simazine, Sulfides, Tetrachloromethane
Not all elements need to be tracked but at least the sums like Dissolved Organic Carbon, Total Organic Carbon, chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand. If this sum exceeds a critical value, other parameters should be tracked.
Other elements, like the PCBs elements are only tested for two years (2008-2010) (small toxic for human and animal. E.g, bad for liver, stomach, less red, blood corpuscle).
