Interfacial Chemistry of Rocks and Soils

Knowledge of the basic interactions that take place between geological materials and different substances is the first step in understanding the effects of adsorption and other interfacial processes on the quality of rocks and soils, and on driving these processes towards a beneficial or neutral result. Interfacial Chemistry of Rocks and Soils examines the different processes at solid and liquid interfaces of soil and rock, presenting a complete analysis that emphasizes the importance of chemical species on these interactions.

This Second Edition features novel results in the field and expanded coverage of the kinetics of interfacial processes. New content includes models of heterogeneous isotope exchange, sorption isotherms for heterovalent cation exchange, as well as sorption of anions by chemically modified clays.

Summarizing the results and knowledge of the authors’ research in this field over several decades, this volume:

• Explores the individual components of the studied systems: the solid, the solution, and the interface
• Discusses the characteristics and thermodynamics of the interface
• Profiles the most important analytical methods in the study of interfacial processes
• Demonstrates transformations initiated by interfacial processes
• Outlines avenues of treatment that may solve geological, soil science, and environmental problems

Drawn chiefly from the authors’ years of research at the Imre Lajos Isotope Laboratory in the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Debrecen in Hungary, this book discusses chemical reactions on the surfaces/interfaces of soils and rocks; examines the role of these processes in environmental, colloid and geochemistry; and explores the effects on agricultural, environmental and industrial applications.

Noémi M. Nagy is a professor of radiochemistry in the Imre Lajos Isotope

Laboratory of Physical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Hungary. She earned her

M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in radiochemistry at that university. She has a D.Sc. degree

in agrochemistry from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Dr Nagy has more than

35 years of experience in nuclear and radiochemistry teaching. Her research interest

is the study of the interfacial processes of natural sorbents, including soils, rocks,

clay minerals mainly by radioactive tracer methods. Recently, she has been dealing

principally with studies of nuclear waste storage. She has written or co-written

numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers and is the co-author four books in the

fields of nuclear and radiochemistry as well as the interfacial chemistry of geological

formations. She won the George Hevesy’s award for nuclear safety in Hungary.

Dr Nagy is the president of the Radiochemical Scientific Committee of Hungarian

Academy of Sciences.

József Kónya is a professor of radiochemistry in the Imre Lajos Isotope Laboratory

of Physical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Hungary. He earned his M.Sc. and

Ph.D. in physical chemistry from that same university. He holds a D.Sc. degree in

Radiochemistry from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Dr Konya has more than

60 years of experience teaching in the fields of nuclear and radiochemistry. His

research interest is the study of the interfacial processes of natural sorbents, including

soils, rocks, and clay minerals mainly by radioactive tracer methods. Recently,

he has been dealing principally with studies of nuclear waste storage. He has written

or co-written numerous peer-reviewed articles and is the co-author of four books

in the fields of nuclear and radiochemistry as well as the interfacial chemistry of

geological formations. He won the George Hevesy’s Award for nuclear safety in

Hungary.