Isotopes originated with the emergence of elements in the Universe during the first infinitesimal fraction of a second following the postulated Big Bang now generally accepted as having started the dynamic expansion observed today.l Some remarks concerning this seminal event are in order.

The continually rising standards of petroleum geoscience and oil search require an ever greater knowledge of the fundamental nature of petroleum, its origin, and its behavior in the rocks of the earth’s crust. In the early stages of the petroleum era, most oil men were not much concerned about the how, why, and when of oil and gas; all they cared to know was where. Those years are gone, and it is now more and more recognized that the how, why, and when of petroleum are critical keys to where it should be sought.

Chemistry is familiar enough; fire and fermentation are cornerstones of human civilization, and the beaker and the test tube are readily recognizable icons in most of the world. Flow is even more familiar; everyone has seen a river, felt the wind, taken a pulse. Though they are rarely on the center stage, fluids that undergo chemical reactions as they flow also impact an astonishingly large number of human experiences. Examples of this include air purification, electro-chemical transport within the human brain, blood and air flow through lungs, flow through kidneys, catalytic converters, tooth decay, deterioration of historic objects, and nearly every large-scale manufacturing process, from semiconductors to paper. Besides the sheer number, the diversity of this list is impressive.

Ruby as a natural gemstone has an early history in which its colorful properties [1] were much valued in ornamental and symbolic jewelry by potentates and other persons of power and prestige [2,3]. This appreciation has extended into latter times and more so into the more general populace. It is an important gem for scientific study [4] and for exploration quests to find new ruby deposits [5,6].

The review chapters in this volume were the basis for a short course on the applications of synchrotron radiation in low-temperature geochemistry and environmental science sponsored by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Geochemical Society (GS) and Mineralogical Society of America (MSA).

Chapter 1 A Study of Airborne Trace Elements in Belgrade Urban Area: Instrumental and Active Biomonitoring Approach M. Aničić, Z. Mijić, M. Kuzmanoski, A. Stojić, M. Tomašević, S. Rajšić and M. Tasić

Chapter 2 Flow Optosensing Applied to the Analysis of Trace Elements Antonio Ruiz-Medina and Eulogio J. Llorent-Martínez

Chapter 3 Trace Metals in Fruit and Vegetable and their Effects on Human Health Stefania Papa, Giovanni Bartoli and Antonietta Fioretto

The soil survey - designing an axploration program

Soil sampling

Analysis of soil samples

Statistical interpretation of soil geochemical data

Models, interpretation and followup <...>