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, after graduation (1971) from the University of Naples Federico II in Geological Sciences and military service (1972), worked for private companies operating in Italy, Africa, and Central America in the field of ore deposits, geochemical prospecting, environmental geology, and hydrogeology (1973–1977). Later, he was a Researcher at CNR-Roma, Italy (1977–1987), Associate Professor in Applied Geochemistry (1987–2000), and Full Professor in Geochemistry at the University of Napoli Federico II (2000–2017). He was a research fellow at the Colorado School of Mines (1978) and at US Geological Survey, Reston, VA (1982 and 1992); Chairman of the Working Group “Inclusions in Minerals” of the International Mineralogical Association; Member of the Editorial Board of GEEA (2004–2007), Minerology and Petrol (1997–2007), American Mineralogist, and Chief Editor of Journal of Geochemical Exploration (2007–2017). His research interests span a wide range of topics including geochemical prospecting, fluid and melt inclusions studies on volcanic and sub-volcanic systems, and environmental geochemistry. He has published about 300 papers (in top international peer-reviewed journals), editing different special volumes (Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, European Journal of Mineralogy, Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, and, Minerology and Petrol), and has authored four text books (in Italian) in geochemical prospecting and environmental geochemistry. He was nominated (2001) as Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America and appointed as an Adjunct Professor at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA (2006), Nanjing University, China (2016), and Hubei Polytechnic University, Huansgshi, China (2019). He was the recipient of the 2019 Gold Medal Award of the Association of Applied Geochemists for outstanding scientific contributions and achievement in applied geochemistry.

Harvey Belkin is currently a Research Geologist Emeritus for the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia. After a career of 45 years, the position of Emeritus allows continued research. After majoring in geology and geochemistry at Franklin and Marshall College and George Washington University, he joined the Branch of Experimental Mineralogy and Geochemistry, USGS. During the early part of his career, he applied the study of aqueous and silicate-melt inclusions to address problems in a wide variety of earth environments, such as ore deposits, radioactive waste disposal, and volcanology. The latter part of this career involved human health issues related to domestic use of coal and other earth materials as well as continued research in different aspects of mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, and volcanology. The author or co-author of more than 150 peer-reviewed papers, more than 200 presentations, and editor or co-editor more than 20 books and abstract volumes, Harvey Belkin continues research in a wide variety of geologic problems.

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.

Since 1997, she is an Associate Professor in Geochemical Exploration and Environmental Geochemistry. Her research includes environmental geochemistry for the evaluation of anthropogenic pollution, site characterization and remediation. Data processing techniques (classical and non-parametric statistical methods, factor analysis, etc.), including geo-statistics and plotting of geochemical distribution maps. Fluid and melt inclusions in minerals applied to ore deposit genesis, geothermometry, magma genesis, and volcanology. Geochemical exploration applied to natural resources and for evaluation of the environmental hazards related to their exploitation. On the latter topics she published about 400 papers, mostly in international peer reviewed journals, 21 Monographs, 7 Editor Special Volumes (as Editor), 2 textbooks, 8 Educational Publications, 56 extended abstracts.