Saprist and fibrist sphagnum peat soils obtained from the same natural peat bog owned by Traverse Nurseries, Torbay, Newfoundland, Canada were characterized to study their potential for adsorbing metals. Both peat soils had a pH of 4.2. The saprist peat had the lower fiber content (68.6% versus 75%), higher cation exchange capacity (70 meq/100g versus 45 meq/100g), higher moisture content (86% versus 82%), higher organic matter content (91% versus 84%), higher wet bulk density (0.65 g/cm3 versus 0.60 g/cm3) and higher dry bulk density (0.28 g/cm3 versus 0.20 g/cm3). A crystallography study showed that the saprist peat was completely amorphous and the metal content analysis showed high calcium and iron concentrations in both types of peat with higher values in the fibrist peat. Carboxylic acid, alcoholic hydroxyl, phenolic hydroxyl, amine and amide functional groups were present and these could be responsible for binding metal ions via ion exchange and or complexation reactions.
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