Application of artificial intelligence for forecasting surface quality index of irrigation systems in the Red River Delta, Vietnam

Abstract Water sources for irrigation systems in the Red River Delta are crucial to the socioeconomic growth of the region's communities. Human activities (discharge) have polluted the water source in recent years, and the water source from upstream is limited. Currently, the surface water quality index (WQI), which is calculated from numerous surface water quality parameters (physical, chemical, microbiological, heavy metals, etc.) is frequently used to evaluate the surface water quality of irrigation systems. However, the calculation of the WQI from water quality monitoring parameters remains constrained due to the need for a large number of monitoring parameters and the relative complexity of the calculation. To better serve the assessment of surface water quality in the study area, it is crucial and essential to conduct research to identify an efficient and accurate method of calculating the WQI. This study used machine learning and deep learning algorithms to calculate the WQI with minimal input data (water quality parameters) to reduce the cost of monitoring surface water quality. The study used the Bayes method (BMA) to select important parameters (BOD 5 , NH 4 + , PO 4 3− , turbidity, TSS, coliform, and DO). The results indicate that the machine learning model is more effective than the deep learning model, with the gradient boosting model having the most accurate prediction results because it has the highest coefficient of determination R 2 (0.96). This is a solid scientific basis and an important result for the application of machine learning and deep learning algorithms to calculate WQI for the research area. The study also demonstrated the potential of artificial intelligence algorithms to improve water quality forecasting compared to traditional methods with minimal cost and time.