Selection method of aggregating sub – indices for marine water quality index

Abstract

    Currently, there are many formulas of surface water quality index (WQI) with the different synthesis of sub-indices in the world and in Vietnam. However, marine water quality index has not been studied much. In this study, four methods of aggregating sub-indices including the weighted arithmetic, the weighted geometric, the weight harmonic, the weight Solway were reviewed with the evaluation criteria of the US Environmental Protection Agency to select an optimal calculation methodology which best reflect environmental pollution and is applied to the marine environment. Research results show that the weight geometric method has small ambiguous and eclipsing, great sensitivity, ease of calculation. The study also suggested adjusting the weighted geometric formed by the US so that it could be apply in cases of lacking data.