RESEARCH ARTICLE Assessment of physicochemical parameters and metal distribution in bog peat of the western segment of the North European part of Russia (Arkhangelsk region) Evgeny Yakovlev 1 & Anna Druzhinina 1 & Sergey Druzhinin 1 & Daria Bedrina 1 & Alexander Orlov 1 Received: 20 April 2020 /Accepted: 12 August 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract This article is devoted to the study of physicochemical parameters and the assessment of the accumulation and distribution of metals in peat deposits from the North European part of Russia (Arkhangelsk region). Peat profiles were selected both in the area with a high anthropogenic load and in a bog remote from industrial pollution. The determination of metals was carried out by using the methods X-ray fluorescence analysis and atomic absorption spectroscopy. It was determined that the studied bogs can be attributed to the low ash type, and the recorded pH and mineralisation values make it possible to attribute these deposits to the acid-oxidising facies of oligotrophic peatlands, characteristic of taiga landscapes. Assessment of metal accumulation showed a high content of titanium, chromium, lead, nickel, vanadium, cobalt, aluminium, silicon, and copper in peat, mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels and industrial production, as well as the burning of urban and industrial waste. The peat profiles are characterised by significant fluctuations in the content of elements in different horizons. Studies have shown the need to monitor the content of metals in peatlands from the Arkhangelsk region to assess atmospheric pollution from industrial emissions, both at the moment and in the past. Keywords Peat bogs . Metals . Metal mobility . Environmental pollution . North European part of Russia Introduction In connection with climatic features, the main biocenoses of the continental territories of the western segment of the North European part of Russia are peat bog ecosystems. The main type of marshes in these territories is poor in nutrients up- stream (ombrotrophic) and dominated by sphagnum mosses. Peatlands are an effective sedimentary barrier for micro- elements. The ability of peat to bind trace elements is deter- mined by developed surface area and a high content of humic substances (Brown et al. 2000). Humic substances are one of the most important components of the organic matter of peat and, by definition, are macromolecular, negatively charged polyelectrolytes containing mainly carboxyl and phenolic functional groups. These components affect the chemical properties of peat, including buffer capacity, cation exchange capacity, acid–base reactions, and metal complexation (Swift 1989). The accumulation of metals in peat depends on the ability of metal ions to bind with functional groups of peat and can be represented in the series Cu > Pb > Ni > Zn > Co > Cd > Mn (Rinqvist and Öhorn 2002). The main pathways for metals to enter the peat mass of ombrotrophic bogs are precipitation, aerosols, airborne dust, and the metals present in peat-forming plants (De Vleeschouwer et al. 2010). For this reason, upper-type de- posits are geochemically autonomous landscapes and are best suited for recording natural and anthropogenic particles in the air, allowing the recording of metal emissions into the atmo- sphere with a relatively high temporal resolution (up to a de- cade) (De Vleeschouwer et al. 2010; Martinez Cortizas et al. 2002; Shotyk et al. 2002). Vertical profiles of peat sections can be used as an archive of changes in pollution levels only if the studied elements are not mobile; therefore, most often, vertical profiles of peat were used as archives of changes in pollution levels by lead (Novak et al. 2003; Farmer et al. 2006; Responsible editor: Alexandros Stefanakis * Evgeny Yakovlev evgeny.yakovlev@fciarctic.ru 1 N. Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Northern Dvina Emb. 23, 163000 Arkhangelsk, Russia Environmental Science and Pollution Research https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10501-z