Author(s)

B.M. Ruck, W.J. Walley & H.A. Hawkes

Abstract

Biological classification of river water quality using neural networks B.M. Ruck, W.J. Walley & H.A. Hawkes Department of Civil Engineering, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET, ABSTRACT The paper describes an investigation into the use of neural networks for the direct classification of river water quality from biological data. The theoretical basis of biological monitoring is briefly explained and the most commonly used methods are discussed, together with some recently developed computer-based methods. The biological basis of the study is iully described, while it is assumed that the reader has a basic understanding of artificial neural networks. The networks used were multi-layer perceptrons with a single hidden layer of eight nodes and an output layer of five nodes, one for each of the five biological-based water quality classes adopted for use in this study. Two different input sets were tested: one based upon the states of existence, in field samples, of forty-o

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