Environmental Geochemistry: Site Characterization, Data Analysis and Case Histories

This volume contains chapters spanning from the role of geochemistry in the environment in general to specific investigations on site characterization (sampling strategy, analytical procedures and problems). Specific articles deal with health problems related to environment pollution, waste disposal, data base management, and provide illustrations of specific case histories of site characterization and remediation of brownfield sites.

Benedetto De Vivo studied at the University of Napoli Federico II and graduated from there in Geological Sciences. After graduation he worked as consulting geologist for private companies operating in Italy, Africa and Central America in the field of ore deposits, geochemical prospecting, environmental geology and hydrogeology. Later, he was an Associate Professor in Applied Geochemistry at University of Napoli Federico II, and in 2000 he became a Full Professor in Geochemistry at the same University. B. De Vivo served as a research fellow at the Colorado School of Mines in 1978 and with the United States Geological Survey, Reston, VA, in 1982 and 1992. He was invited to serve as a visiting scientist at the Geological Survey of Japan, in 1990 by the EC-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation. He has been Chairman of the Working Group “Inclusions in Minerals of the International Mineralogical Association, has been member of the Editorial Board of Geochemistry - Exploration, Environment, Analysis (2004-2007). At present is a member of the Board of Associate Editors (since 1996) of Mineralogy and Petrology, Associate Editor of American Mineralogist since 2012 and is Chief Editor of Journal of Geochemical Exploration since 2007. He has been a member of different Experts Government Committees for base-metal mining research activities and for the remediation of industrial sites in Italy. His current research interests span a wide range of topics including geochemical prospecting, fluid and melt inclusions studies applied mostly to study volcanic and sub-volcanic systems, and environmental geochemistry. B. De Vivo has published 190 papers (most of them on top internationally referred journals) and has edited different special volumes of J. Volcanol. Geotherm. Res., Eur. J. Miner., Inst. Mining and Metallurgy, and Mineralogy and Petrology; he is author of 4 text books (in Italian) in geochemical prospecting and environmental geochemistry. In 2001 was nominated as Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America for “his outstanding contributions to the fields of mineralogy, crystallography, geochemistry and petrology ; in 2006 was appointed as an Adjunct Professor of the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA. Selected in a list of 5 elegible, by a Committee of Wises, as a candidate for the nomination by the Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) to the Presidency of Institute National of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV).

Dr Belkin for almost 50 years has been with the USGS as a Research Geologist whose work focuses on geochemistry geochemistry. Most recently he has been the Project Chief of the Reston Microbeam Facility, where they are creating a baseline of chemical and textural properties of mineral species - specifically on halogens, HAP’s, elements or rare earth elements and a Project Leader on a program focusing on the Geochemistry of Solid Fuels, specific as it relates to coal in China. His total experience includes delving into issues of Health Impacts. He has published 76 papers to date.

Dr Belkin for almost 50 years has been with the USGS as a Research Geologist whose work focuses on geochemistry geochemistry. Most recently he has been the Project Chief of the Reston Microbeam Facility, where they are creating a baseline of chemical and textural properties of mineral species - specifically on halogens, HAP’s, elements or rare earth elements and a Project Leader on a program focusing on the Geochemistry of Solid Fuels, specific as it relates to coal in China. His total experience includes delving into issues of Health Impacts. He has published 76 papers to date.

Dr Lima is an Associate Professor in Geochemistry in addition to being a member of the Editorial Boards for the journal Geochemistry: Exploration-Environment-Analysis. She also lectures at Huelva University on Environmental Geochemistry. Her research includes geochemical exploration for mineral resources, both from an exploration perspective as to identify the potential environmental hazards which can relate to these activities; environmental geochemistry and the geochemical characterization of environmental matrices to evaluate anthropogenic pollution, and studying fluid and melt inclusions in minerals.. She has published over 120 papers to date.