Application of spatial analysis tools in assessing the variability of drinking water quality indicators across populated areas of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation

Introduction. In hygiene and epidemiological research, there are in demand spatial analysis tools from geographic information systems, including geostatistical analysis and various methods for grouping or classifying data on a map. Modern GIS functionality includes various tools for automatic data grouping, the results of which can vary significantly depending on the chosen method and the characteristics of the data sample. However, criteria for selecting appropriate tools have not been developed.

The purpose of the study. Based on the assessment of the variability of water quality indicators in centralized drinking water supply systems, to justify the choice of tools for automatic data grouping in modern geographic information systems.

Materials and methods. The methods used were content analysis, statistical methods for processing the collected information, methods for constructing and analyzing databases, methods for visualizing spatial data, and methods for grouping them using GIS.

Results. The similarity of the results of data groupings using the geometric interval, natural boundaries, and quantiles (quartiles) methods for samples with a distribution close to normal, as well as between the standard deviation and equal intervals methods, was revealed. The convergence of the results of different groupings for samples with no normal distribution is less typical.

Limitations. The findings and conclusions obtained in the study are applicable to methods of grouping and analyzing indicators associated with point objects and cannot be extrapolated to geostatistical analysis.

Conclusion. The study revealed the influence of key statistical characteristics of a sample on the results of automatic data grouping using tools in geographic information systems, using ArcMap as an example. When choosing a data grouping tool, it is advisable to primarily consider the normality of the distribution.

Compliance with ethical standards. The study does not require the submission of a biomedical ethics committee opinion or other documents.

Contribution:
Fedorov V.N. – concept and design of the study;
Novikova Y.A. – collection and processing of material, responsibility for the integrity and proportionality of all parts of the article;
Myasnikov I.O. – data analysis, study design adjustments, editing of the article text;
Sklizkova N.A. – data analysis, editing of article text;
Levanchuk L.A. – data analysis, interpretation of results, editing of the article text.
All authors are responsible for the integrity of all parts of the manuscript and approval of the manuscript final version.

Conflict of interest. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study had no sponsorship.

Received: April 17, 2026 / Accepted: July 1, 2026 / Published: September 28, 2026

1. Zaitseva N.V., Mai I.V. Risk-oriented sanitary and epidemiological surveillance: prospects in the context of digital transformation. In: Health Risk Analysis – 2021. Environmental, Social, Medical, and Behavioral Aspects. In Conjunction with the International Meeting on Environment and Health RISE-2021. Materials of the XI All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation. Volume 1 [Analiz riska zdorov’yu – 2021. Vneshnesredovye, sotsial’nye, meditsinskie i povedencheskie aspekty. Sovmestno s mezhdunarodnoi vstrechei po okruzhayushchei srede i zdorov’yu RISE-2021. Materialy XI Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem. Tom 1]. Perm’; 2021: 9–13. https://elibrary.ru/bfazep (in Russian)

2. Ignatev N.A., Rakhimova M.A. Monitoring the health status of the population by age groups. Nauchno-tekhnicheskii vestnik informatsionnykh tekhnologii, mekhaniki i optiki. 2023; 23(2): 364–73. https://doi.org/10.17586/2226-1494-2023-23-2-364-373 https://elibrary.ru/zohrqo (in Russian)

3. Novikov S.M., Shashina T.A., Dodina N.S., Kislitsyn V.A., Skovronskaya S.A., Matsuk A.V., et al. The experience of empirical research on comparative assessment of radiation and chemical health risks due to exposure to environmental factors. Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2019; 98(12): 1425–31. https://doi.org/10.18821/0016-9900-2019-98-12-1425-1431 https://elibrary.ru/tbcddi (in Russian)

4. Kuchma V.R., Sukhareva L.M., Rapoport I.K., Shubochkina E.I., Skoblina N.A., Milushkina O.Yu., et al. Population health of children, risks to health and sanitary and epidemiological wellbeing of students: problems, ways of solution and technology of the activity. Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2017; 96(10): 990–5. https://elibrary.ru/zwsrur (in Russian)

5. Zorina I.G., Makarova V.V. Social and hygienic monitoring as the basis of a control in the control and supervisory activities of the federal service for surveillance on consumer rights protection and human wellbeing. Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2020; 99(1): 13–9. https://elibrary.ru/gfgzdb (in Russian)

6. Popova A.Yu., Kuzmin S.V., Gurvich V.B., Kozlovskikh D.N., Romanov S.V., Dikonskaya O.V., et al. Data-driven risk management for public health as supported by the experience of implementation for development concept of the social and hygienic monitoring framework in the Russian Federation up to 2030. Zdorov’e naseleniya i sreda obitaniya – ZNiSO. 2019; (9): 4–12. https://doi.org/10.35627/2219-5238/2019-318-9-4-12 https://elibrary.ru/tzkwsa (in Russian)

7. Korotkov V.V., Kuleshova A.M., Ushakov S.A., Saveliev S.I., Zubchonok N.V., Dodina N.S. Geoinformation regional system as an effective means of substantiation of managing decisions and supervision in the field of sanitary and epidemiological situation. Zdravookhranenie Rossiiskoi Federatsii. 2022; 66(5): 380–4. https://doi.org/10.47470/0044-197X-2022-66-5-380-384 https://elibrary.ru/mydpdu (in Russian)

8. Popova A.Yu., Ezhlova E.B., Smolensky V.Yu., Letyushev A.N., Treskin A.A., Ivanova A.V., et al. The automated information system «Perimeter» is a tool for the modernization of information and technical support of sanitary and quarantine control. Problemy osobo opasnykh infektsii. 2023; (3): 6–14. https://doi.org/10.21055/0370-1069-2023-3-6-14 https://elibrary.ru/otbtaz (in Russian)

9. Buzinov R.V., Novikova Yu.A., Leksashov A.V. Creation of a unified digital circuit for managing the quality of drinking water. In: Development of an Intellectual Economy and Industry Based on Artificial Intelligence [Razvitie intellektual’noi ekonomiki i promyshlennosti na osnove iskusstvennogo intellekta]. St. Petersburg: POLYTECH-PRESS; 2025: 418–43. https://elibrary.ru/zstewn (in Russian)

10. Fedorov V.N., Tikhonova N.A., Novikova Yu.A., Myasnikov I.O. Development of a digital model for the location of surface sources of drinking water supply to predict pollution of water intakes. In: Problems of Maintaining Health and Ensuring Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-Being of the Population in the Arctic: Proceedings of the IV International Scientific and Practical Conference [Problemy sokhraneniya zdorov’ya i obespecheniya sanitarno-epidemiologicheskogo blagopoluchiya naseleniya v Arktike. Materialy IV mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii]. St. Petersburg: Kosta; 2023: 262–8. https://elibrary.ru/fjbric (in Russian)

11. Goryaev D.V., Tikhonova I.V. Digital technologies in the tasks of managing the sanitary-epidemiological situation at the level of the subject of the Federation. Zdravookhranenie Rossiiskoi Federatsii. 2022; 66(5): 375–9. https://doi.org/10.47470/0044-197X-2022-66-5-375-379 https://elibrary.ru/lrpbxg (in Russian)

12. Melnikov O.A., Kraevoy S.A., Bolekhan V.N. Threats and risks to health in emergency situations: biomedical, predictive analytical, and mathematical aspects. Meditsina ekstremal’nykh situatsii. 2024; 26(4): 13–20. https://doi.org/10.47183/mes.2024-26-4-13-20 https://elibrary.ru/chvrne (in Russian)

13. Polikarpov A.V., Golubev N.A., Ogryzko E.V., Rugol L.V. History of the development of geoinformation systems in the world and their use in healthcare. Vrach i informatsionnye tekhnologii. 2023; (4): 4–13. https://doi.org/10.25881/18110193_2023_4_4 https://elibrary.ru/slydfo (in Russian)

14. Paramonov V.Yu., Panenkova E.A., Paramonova V.A. Application of geoinformation technologies in the practice of social and hygienic monitoring. In: Health Risk Analysis – 2021. Environmental, Social, Medical, and Behavioral Aspects. In Conjunction with the International Meeting on Environment and Health RISE-2021. Materials of the XI All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation. Volume 2 [Analiz riska zdorov’yu – 2021. Vneshnesredovye, sotsial’nye, meditsinskie i povedencheskie aspekty. Sovmestno s mezhdunarodnoi vstrechei po okruzhayushchei srede i zdorov’yu RISE-2021. Materialy XI Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem. Tom 2]. Perm’; 2021: 370–7. https://elibrary.ru/oqhpts (in Russian)

15. Fedorov V.N., Buzinov R.V., Bolsunovskaya M.V. Geoinformation platforms for solving problems of environmental protection and sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population. In: Theory and Practice of Digital Modeling [Teoriya i praktika tsifrovogo modelirovaniya]. St. Petersburg: POLYTECH-PRESS; 2024: 61–98. https://elibrary.ru/nvuvgb (in Russian)

16. Fedorov V.N., Kopytenkova O.I., Novikova Yu.A., Myasnikov I.O., Tikhonova N.A. Selection of tools for grouping arrays of population morbidity data during their visualization using geographic information systems. In: Health Risk Analysis – 2024: Proceedings of the XIV All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference with International Participation [Analiz riska zdorov’yu – 2024: Materialy XIV Vserossiiskoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiem]. Perm’; 2024: 82–90. https://elibrary.ru/juylny (in Russian)

17. Krivoguz D. Geo-spatial analysis of urbanization and environmental changes with deep neural networks: Insights from a three-decade study in Kerch peninsula. Ecol. Inform. 2024; 80: 102513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102513 https://elibrary.ru/nfuwtl

18. Fedorov V.N., Tikhonova N.A., Kizeev A.N., Kiselev A.V. Comparative assessment of applicability of spatial data analysis tools for assessing and predicting the state of environmental factors. Zdorov’e naseleniya i sreda obitaniya – ZNiSO. 2025; 33(5): 17–28. https://elibrary.ru/paqgcd (in Russian)

19. Fedorov V.N., Novikova Ju.A., Kovshov A.A., Tikhonova N.A. Data analysis and results visualization in sanitary and epidemiological well-being assessment using GIS. In: System Analysis in Design and Management: Collection of Scientific Papers of the XXV International Scientific and Educational-Practical Conference. Part 3 [Sistemnyi analiz v proektirovanii i upravlenii: sbornik nauchnykh trudov XXV Mezhdunarodnoi nauchnoi i uchebno-prakticheskoi konferentsii. Chast’ 3]. St. Petersburg: POLITEKH-PRESS; 2021: 326–31. https://doi.org/10.18720/SPBPU/2/id21-384 https://elibrary.ru/usrmdi (in Russian)

20. Novikova Yu.A., Tikhonova N.A., Rakova V.V. Algorithm for integrated assessment of drinking water quality. In: Systems Analysis in Design and Management: Collection of Scientific Papers of the XXVI International Scientific and Practical Conference. Part 2 [Sistemnyi analiz v proektirovanii i upravlenii: Sbornik nauchnykh trudov XXVI Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii. Chast’ 2]. St. Petersburg: POLITEKH-PRESS; 2023: 190–5. https://doi.org/10.18720/SPBPU/2/id23-97 https://elibrary.ru/tdxqls (in Russian)

21. Rakhmanin Yu.A., Meltser A.V., Kiselev A.V., Erastova N.V. Hygienic substantiation of management decisions with the use of the integral assessment of drinking water on indices of chemical harmlessness and epidemiological safety. Gigiena i Sanitaria (Hygiene and Sanitation, Russian journal). 2017; 96(4): 302–5. https://elibrary.ru/ykuqhh (in Russian)

22. Novikova Yu.A., Sklizkova N.A., Fedorov V.N., Myasnikov I.O. Application of an integrated approach to assessing the quality of drinking water. Rossiiskaya Arktika. 2025; 7(3): 17–25. https://elibrary.ru/rmxhgg (in Russian)