Nucleosynthesis is the study of the nuclear processes responsible for the formation of the elements which constitute the baryonic matter of the Universe. The elements of which the Universe is composed indeed have a quite complicated nucleosynthesis history, which extends from the first three minutes of the Big Bang through to the present. Contemporary nucleosynthesis theory associates the production of certain elements/isotopes or groups of elements with a number of specific astrophysical settings, the most significant of which are: (i) the cosmological Big Bang, (ii) stars, and (iii) supernovae.

The review chapters in this volume were the basis for a two day short course on Medical Mineralogy and Geochemistry held at the United States Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California, U.S.A. (December 9-10, 2006) prior to the American Geophysical Union Meeting in San Francisco, California. This meeting and volume were sponsored by the Mineralogical Society of America, Geochemical Society, and the United States Department of Energy <...>

It is now common parlance to refer to the Earth as a physical–chemical–biological system; but this is a relatively recent innovation. Until about 1950, geologists generally used the word ‘system’ to define geologic periods, or the several crystal classes, or the physical chemistry of multicomponent mixtures. Long before then, the word ‘system’ in its current usage had been a part of the vocabulary of a number of fields, including communication and control engineering.

Applications of concepts and methods of physics and chemistry to geology resulted in the field of Isotope Geochemistry which has revolutionized our understanding of our Earth system and our environment. When isotope techniques applied to understanding environmental changes that have taken place in the anthropocene, the resultant field can be defined as Environmental Isotope Geochemistry.

To begin with,a brief statement of what constitutes organic geochemistry is probably called for.It is the study of the transformation undergone by organic matter of all types, whether of biological or manmade origin, in the Earth System. The transformations involved vary from those mediated by biological processes involved  in the production of living tissue and the operation of food-chains, to those controlled by temperature and pressure at depth in the crust. Photochemical processes in the atmosphere and hydrosphere can also be important in controlling the environmental behaviour of some organic compounds.

Recurring concerns about the environmental fate and potential health impacts of radionuclides such as 137CS, 90Sr, and 99Tc continue to focus interest on understanding the mechanisms controlling radionuclide transport in soils. At the same time, the difficulty and complexity of cleaning up radionuclide-contaminated soils highlights our inability to predict radionuclide transport in near surface environments. Nevertheless, new theories and novel analytical techniques are increasingly able to provide a picture of radiochemical reactivity in situ in soils at the molecular level. There is therefore the possibility that an atomic level view of contaminant binding to soils can provide a knowledge-based framework for choosing remedial targets, achieving cleanup, and protecting public health. Interest in such subjects led to a symposium entitled "Soil Geochemical Processes ofRadionuclides" that was held at the 1999 Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting at Salt Lake City, UT. <...>

The volume ‘‘Environmental Geochemistry: Site Characterization, Data Analysis, Case Histories’’ contains selected papers presented at the ‘‘Workshop: Environmental Geochemistry—Site Characterization, Waste Disposal, Data Analysis, Case Histories’’ held in Napoli (Italy) on May 4–5, 2006. Participants from private and public institutions of Canada, Finland, Greece, Italy, the UK, and USA, took part.

The zone between land surface and the water table, which forms the upper boundary of  the groundwater region, is known as the vadose zone. This zone is mostly unsaturated—or more precisely, partially saturated—but it may contain a saturated fraction in the vicinity of the water table due to fluctuations in water levels or capillary rise above the water table.

Acid rain is used loosely to describe both acidic gases in the atmosphere and, more precisely, rain, mist or snow containing acid compounds of sulphur and nitrogen. Two main gases contribute to the formation of acid rain: sulphur(IV) oxide (SO2), produced by burning fossil fuels which contain sulphur, such as coal and oil; and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), which are formed when anything is burnt. The formation of acids from these gases and the way in which they move through the atmosphere are also affected by other pollutants, including ozone. The main sources of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen are power stations which burn fossil fuels, other large industrial combustion plants and motor vehicles <...>

The oceans of the world represent a natural depository for the dissolved and particulate products of continental weathering. After its input, the dissolved material consolidates by means of biological and geochemical processes and is deposited on the ocean floor along with the particulate matter from weathered rock. The ocean floor deposits therefore embody the history of the continents, the oceans and their pertaining water masses.