Which parameters are commonly used in a Water Quality Index to judge water quality?

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Water quality is assessed by a small set of fundamental indicators that together reflect life support, safety, and aesthetic quality. Dissolved oxygen shows how much oxygen is available for aquatic organisms, fecal coliform indicates potential microbial contamination and health risk, pH reveals acidity/alkalinity that affects chemical reactions and organism tolerance, turbidity measures cloudiness from suspended solids that can carry pollutants and reduce light for photosynthesis, and BOD or COD quantify the organic matter that consumes oxygen as it decomposes. This combination provides a balanced view of biological, chemical, and physical factors that influence overall water quality, which is why it is the standard set used in many Water Quality Indices. The other options mix indicators that are either not routinely included in WQIs, or focus on sensory attributes or specific contaminants rather than the integrated picture captured by the standard set.