Home > Archive > No. 3–4 (199–200) 2025 > 25–43
Geology & Geochemistry of Combustible Minerals No. 3–4 (199–200) 2025, 25–43
https://doi.org/
Myroslav PAVLYUK1, Myroslava YAKOVENKO2, Yurii KHOKHA3, Olga SERDІUKOVA4
1, 2, 3 Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of Combustible Minerals of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Lviv, Ukraine, e-mail: 1pavlyuk.myroslav@gmail.com; 2myroslavakoshil@ukr.net; 3khoha_yury@ukr.net
4 V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, Ukraine, e-mail: serd.64@ukr.net
Abstract
The aim of the work was to quantitatively characterize the spatial‑stratigraphic variability of mobile forms of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) in peatlands of the Lviv Region and to identify the main physicochemical factors of their accumulation.
Materials and methods. 26 samples from six peatlands (Bilohorshcha, Honchary, Hamaliivka, Artyshchiv, Polonychna, Sknylivok) were studied along profiles 0–140 cm at 20 cm intervals. Mobile forms of Pb, Cd, As were determined by ICP AES after extraction with 0.2 M HCl, whereas Hg was measured by direct thermal decomposition-amalgamation AAS (NIC MA 3 Solo) without prior wet extraction. pH, ash content (Ash), moisture content (W), and organic matter content were measured. Statistical processing included descriptive statistics, geoaccumulation index (GI), Spearman correlations, hierarchical clustering (Ward) and PCA with varimax rotation.
Results. The studied peat deposits of the Lviv Region are characterized by a high proportion of organic matter (median = 83.95 %), variable ash content (9.69–37.08 %) and an acidic-to-weakly neutral environment (pH = 4.40–7.69). Mobile forms of Pb, Cd, As and Hg show high spatial stratigraphic variability and lognormal distributions; coefficients of variation are ≈ 236–263–136 % for Pb, Cd and Hg, respectively, while As has moderately high variability (≈ 82 %). According to the averaged concentration coefficients normalized to the median, the geochemical spectrum is: Cd (3.57) > Pb (3.02) > Hg (1.28) > As (1.20). Comparison with lithospheric and soil reference levels indicates persistent enrichment in Cd, whereas Hg is generally at background to subbackground levels (Igeo ≤ 0), with Pb and As mostly not exceeding background except for local anomalies. The vertical structure is mosaic: Hg shows modest near-surface increases with no stable deep maxima and no significant geoaccumulation (Igeo < 0); Pb frequently peaks near the surface but exhibits a deep maximum in the Honchary profile (60–80 cm); Cd forms contrasting intraprofile anomalies (Honchary, 60–80 cm), and As combines near-surface increases with a deep peak (Hamaliivka, 120–140 cm), indicating the role of redox gradients and mineral admixture. Multivariate analyses (correlation, clustering, PCA) before and after ash normalization consistently reveal a stable cationic Pb–Cd block, organic control of As, and moisture-redox-acid-base control on Hg, separating the roles of organic and mineral phases in forming profile anomalies and providing a basis for further monitoring.
Keywords
peat, geochemistry, mobile forms, lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, Lviv Region
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