Distribution of chemical elements in peat deposits of the Lviv Region

The article is devoted to the study and interpretation of the content of chemical elements in peats of Lviv Region. It is known that peat has a pronounced ability to physical sorption and chemisorption, as a result it is able to accumulate a significant amount of metals, including dangerous – heavy, toxic and radioactive. Peat is used as an energy raw material, in recent years – as a raw material for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Thus, this geochemical research has scientific and applied importance for a wide range of industries and for environmental monitoring. The range of peat applications directly depends on the concentration of trace elements. The basic geochemical characteristics of peat lowland type in Lviv Region were found out. In general, the content of elements in the studied peat has concentrations lower than сlarkes in comparison with the lithosphere, soils and terrestrial plants. Lithophilic Sr, Yb, Be, Ba, siderophilic Mo, Co, and chalcophilic Pb, Ag are actively concentrated in comparison with clarkes in the lithosphere, soils, plant ashes and relative to background values in the soils of Ukraine. According to the results of a comprehensive analysis of the content of microelements in lowland peats of Lviv Region, three elements with high concentration were identified – Molybdenum, Strontium and Lead. Significant uneven distribution of microelement concentration with depth and area of distribution and high indicators of Mo, Yb, Sr, Be, Co, Ag, Ba, Pb relative to clarkes of lithosphere, soils, plant ash, etc. have been established. Comparison of patterns of accumulation and scattering of elements in peat with lithosphere, soils and terrestrial plants shows that peat is characterized by its own specific set of storage elements, there are specific patterns of accumulation and scattering of elements. Thus, peat has a clear geochemical structure that distinguishes them from mineral soils and lithosphere.