Text Size
Criteria for the Assessment of Sediment Quality in Quebec and Application Frameworks: Prevention, Dredging and Remediation
This document presents the results of a review of the sediment quality criteria adopted in Quebec in 1992. It describes the new quality criteria adopted by Environment Canada and the Quebec Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs, as well as the process leading to their development. The document also contains unpublished information on the natural and ambient concentrations of various substances in the sediments of the St. Lawrence River. Guidelines and recommendations for interpreting and applying the quality criteria are also presented.
Following an assessment of new data and of sediment quality guidelines developed by other jurisdictions, it was concluded that the interim criteria published in 1992 should be replaced with new quality criteria based on the approach of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). In selecting the methodological approach, the task group took into consideration aspects such as data completeness and updating of the CCME’s toxicological database, together with the availability of data on freshwater, marine and estuarine environments.
To protect aquatic life, the CCME has derived two reference values for some 30 substances in freshwater and marine sediments: a threshold effect level (TEL) and a probable effect level (PEL). These two values have been adopted for the assessment of sediment quality in Quebec, and three other levels were derived to define all of the intervention levels needed for sediment management in Quebec under a diversity of contexts. The three new sediment quality criteria were defined using the CCME database and a calculation method similar to the one used to determine the TEL and the PEL. They are (1) the rare effect level (REL), (2) the occasional effect level (OEL), and (3) the frequent effect level (FEL).
This set of criteria constitutes a screening tool for assessing the degree of contamination of sediment. Employed in conjunction with natural background levels, these quality criteria can prevent the contamination of sites that are sensitive to inputs of anthropogenic contaminants. The criteria can also be combined with other assessment tools, such as toxicity tests and biological field studies, to determine the most appropriate management method for dredged material based on its degree of contamination. The sediment quality criteria can also serve as indicators of the remedial measures required at contaminated sites and help to define restoration objectives.
This report is available in PDF Format
Date modified: 2008/06/19 – Important Notices
