Natural Radioactivity and Metals in Pit Lakes in Sweden Analyzed by Principal Component and Cluster Analysis

Abstract The aim of this work was to determine which parameters are sufficient measure in order describe the water quality a pit lake and identify patterns data among different kind lakes. consisted ambient dose equivalent rate, elemental radionuclide concentration, pH, specific conductance surface sediment samples collected from types mines. Data were tested for normality log-normality used principal component analysis (PCA) hierarchical cluster (HCA). tests indicated that only 40 K normally distributed, while 234,238 U isotopes log-normally distributed. HCA performed on measured provided clusters most cases separated elements according their chemical groups. However, when lakes, clustering seemed indicate might not be preferred sample differentiate between PCA resulted three components explained 72% variance SC, concentration Mg, K, Ca, Cu, Zn, Sr, Pb, activity 210 Po, rate included. For data, explaining 83% Na, Al, P, Rb, Y, Tl, 234 Th, 226 Ra, 232 Th (series average),