Abstract
Snow disposal creates problems each year in Montreal. Snow dumping in water courses is favored due to both esthetic and economic considerations. Used snow must be considered as a potential pollutant. Its impact on the aquatic receiving environment is not well known. With river dumping in progress, snow samples were collected at 3 sites: Concorde Bridge, and at piers 30 and 52 in Montreal Harbor. Analysis of 28 routine parameters demonstrated that the quality of snow ultimately dumped in the river varies considerably according to its sources and the time it remains in the streets. Used-snow from residential areas was shown to be less polluted than the snow from commercial areas. Furthermore, from the total number of sampled districts, used-snow dumped at pier 30 appears to be relatively more polluted as it originated from downtown areas where vehicle circulation is more dense. Heavy metals in particles sizes between 0.45 and 63 μm represented more than 70% of the measured suspended solids which reflects the risk of bioaccumulation via benthic organisms. Principal component analysis of present data suggests that with analysis of chlorides, suspended solids and Pb alone, it is possible to approximately determine the quality of used-snow.
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Zinger, I., Delisle, C.E. Quality of used-snow discharged in the ST-Lawrence river, in the region of the Montreal Harbor. Water Air Soil Pollut 39, 47–57 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00250947
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00250947