The layer provides information on suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations by area. There is a natural interaction phenomenon between hydrocarbons and SPM, that creates hydrocarbon-SPM aggregates. The SPM in the water column, hence has an effect on hydrocarbon capacity to sink to the bottom in aggregate form (Gong et collab., 2014 ; Fitzpatrick et collab., 2015, cited in Centre d'expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec, 2015).

Additional Information

The suspended particulate matter data for this layer are derived from multiple sources given the need to cover the St. Lawrence portion from Montreal to Anticosti. The layer has been cut into 6 different zones. Denis Lefaivre, a researcher at Maurice-Lamontagne Institute, has provided the coordinates of the points allowing the delimitation of areas. The values in each zone are derived from different studies carried out at different times.

The references are cited below for each of the polygons from West to East, as well as for the summary:

1- Department of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change and Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2016. Recommendations for Suspended Matter Management (ESM) during dredging activities. Quebec. 64 pages and appendices. http://planstlaurent.qc.ca/fileadmin/publications/diverses/Registre_de_dragage/Recommandations_dragage.pdf

2- D'Anglejan, B. 1990. Recent Sediments and Sediment Transport Process in the St. Lawrence Estuary. In Oceanography of a Large-Scale Estuarine System: The St. Lawrence, edited by M. I. El-Sabh and N. Silverberg. New York: Springer-Verlag, 109-

153.

3- Silverberg, N., and B. Sundby. 1979. Observations in the maximum turbidity of the St. Lawrence estuary. Can. J. Earth Sci. 16: 939-950.

4- Michel Lebeuf, 2016.Unpublished personal data.Collected between 2015-2016 for research purposes.

5- Sundby, B. 1974. Distribution and Transport of Suspended Particulate Matter in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences11 (11): 1517-1533.

6- Gong, Y., X. Zhao, Z. Cai, S. E. O'Reilly, X. Hao and D. Zhao. 2014. A review of oil, dispersedoil and sediment interactions in the aquatic environment: Influence on the fate, transportand remediation of oil spills. Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 79: 1-2, p.16-33.

7- Fitzpatrick, F.A., M.C., Boufadel, R., Johnson, K., Lee, T.P., Graan, A.C., Bejarano, Z.,Zhu, D., Waterman, D.M., Capone, E., Hayter, S.K., Hamilton, T., Deffer, M.H.,Garcia, et J.S., Hassan. 2015. Oil-particle interactions and submergence from crudeoil spills in marine and freshwater environments – Review of the science and futurescience needs. U.S. Geological Survey Open-file report 2015-2016, 33 p.

8- Centre d'expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec,2015.Hydrocarbures pétroliers : caractéristiques, devenir et criminalistique environnementale –Études GENV222 et GENV23, Évaluation environnementale stratégique globale sur leshydrocarbures. Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contreles changements climatiques, 41 p. et annexes.

9- CSL – Centre Saint-Laurent, 1997. Le Saint-Laurent : dynamique et contamination des sédiments, Montréal, Environnement Canada – Région du Québec, Conservation de l’environnement, 127 p. (coll. BILAN Saint-Laurent). [Rapport thématique sur l’état du Saint-Laurent].