Chemical speciation of heavy metals in peat bog, Kokchetav mountain group, north Kazakhstan

In the present study, chemical speciation of heavy metals in bog water and peat deposits, collected from the territory of the Kokchetav mountain group, North Kazakhstan, is described. The purpose was to evaluate quantitatively migration, distribution, and redistribution of the elements by the example of the natural object as a basic tool for the study of geochemical cycles of elements. Studying of the chemical composition of bog and pore water has been carried out, their comparative characteristic was executed, mechanisms of elements behavior in the presence of organic acids in water and peat deposits were investigated. Besides, detailed studying of mineral and element structure of deposits and filters after a water filtration (0.45 and 0.2 microns) was carried out. Chemical forms of heavy metals in pore and surface water were calculated by the application of MINTEQ-2 software. The obtained results about elements species in the sediments explain the relationships between peat properties and the content, distribution, mobility, and availability of the heavy metals.