The disposal of low-level radioactive waste generated by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) during the Cold War era has historically involved shallow land burial in unconfined pits and trenches. The lack of physical or chemical barriers to impede waste migration has resulted in the formation of secondary contaminant sources where radionuclides have moved into the surrounding soil and bedrock, as well as groundwater and surface water sources.

Mills, C. F. Geochemical aspects of the aetiology of trace element related diseases
Plant, J. A., Baldock, J. W. & Smith, B. The role of geochemistry in environmental and epidemiological studies in developing countries: a review
Fordyce, F. M., Masara, D. & Appleton, J. D. Stream sediment, soil and forage chemistry as indicators of cattle mineral status in northeast Zimbabwe
Jumba, I. O., Suttle, N. F., Hunter, E. A. & Wandiga, S. O. Effects of botanical composition, soil origin and composition on mineral concentrations in dry season pastures in western Kenya
Maskall, J. & Thornton, I. The distribution of trace and major elements in Kenyan soil profiles and implications for wildlife nutrition

Colloid systems may be defined as systems containing at least two components: 1) a continuous dispersing medium and 2) a disperse phase. For many years the science of colloids was concerned mainly with the description of the behavior of very small particles. The classical definition of a colloid system described the disperse phase as being comprised of particles or macromolecules smaller than 1000 nm in diameter, but larger than 1 nm. Particles smaller than 1 nm do not exist as a discrete phase, and any system containing them cannot be considered as heterogeneous.

A huge amount of data has been accumulated in the field of high-pressure mineralogy to date (Agee 1998; Stachel 2001; Akaogi 2007; Irifune and Tsuchiya 2007; Kaminsky 2012; and others). Direct study of the substance of the Earth’s mantle using data on the minerals of mantle xenolith and inclusions in natural diamonds is significantly restricted. According to the geothermobarometric estimates, most of such minerals are formed at a depth of 150–200 km, i.e., their associations characterize the P–T conditions of the upper mantle (Sobolev 1977; Sobolev et al. 1997; Taylor and Anand 2004).

Let us start with a question here. Which figure in Fig. 1.1 is the most symmetric? Obviously, figure (c) in Fig. 1.1 has less symmetry than (a) and (b); however, it is difficult to compare symmetries of (a) and (b).
One of the basic tools for describing symmetries of crystal structures is space groups, which describe symmetry of atoms (vertices/points) in a crystal structure. For example, the symmetry of a regular hexagonal tiling of R2 is described by the group P6m, and the space group of the symmetry of a regular three-colored hexagonal tiling (see Fig. 1.2b) is P3m1. Similarly, the group P6m describes the symmetry of a regular hexagonal lattice.

The urge to make geology more quantitative has led to the widespread inclusion of chemistry, physics, and mathematics—the so-called "basic" sciences—among the required courses in undergraduate curricula. One can only applaud this practice, for certainly many of the new and exciting ideas in earth science have come from application of quantitative reasoning to geologic problems. It is reasonable to ask. however, if the mere requiring of courses in basic science is an efficient way to give most students facility in handling ideas quantitatively. For the few who take easily to mathematical symbolism, the answer would be "yes":

It is an old wisdom that metals are indispensable for life. Indeed, several of them, like sodium, potassium, and calcium, are easily discovered in living matter. However, the role of metals and their impact on life remained largely hidden until inorganic chemistry and coordination chemistry experienced a pronounced revival in the 1950s. The experimental and theoretical tools created in this period and their application to biochemical problems led to the development of the field or discipline now known as Bioinorganic Chemistry, Inorganic Biochemistry, or more recently also often addressed as Biological Inorganic Chemistry. By 1970 Bioinorganic Chemistry was established and further promoted by the book series Metal Ions in Biological Systems founded in 1973 (edited by H.S., who was soon joined by A.S.) and published by Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, for more than 30 years. After this company ceased to be a family endeavor and its acquisition by another company, we decided, after having edited 44 volumes of the MIBS series (the last two together with R.K.O.S.) to launch a new and broader minded series to cover today’s needs in the Life Sciences. Therefore, the Sigels’ new series is entitled <...>

Fluids rich in water, carbon and sulfur species and a variety of dissolved salts are a ubiquitous transport medium for heat and matter in the Earth’s interior. Fluid transport through the upper mantle and crust controls the origin of magmatism above subduction zones and results in natural risks of explosive volcanism. Fluids passing through rocks affect the chemical and heat budget of the global oceans, and can be utilized as a source of geothermal energy on land.

Initially, I approached this book with a certain trepidation. Forseveral decades, surface geochemistry has been a controversial subject when applied to petroleum exploration. Vertical migration is not a new concept, but the mechanism by which it occurs is still not clear. Quantifying all the different elements from the seal rock to the soil may be an insurmountable task, but we can identify, discuss, and interpret the principal ones.