Springer. 2011. 943 p.
Applications of radioactive and stable isotopes have revolutionized our understanding of the Earth and near-earth surface processes. The utility of the isotopes are ever-increasing and our sole focus is to bring out the applications of these isotopes as tracers and chronometers to a wider audience so that they can be used as powerful tools to solve environmental problems. New developments in this field remain mostly in peer-reviewed joual articles and hence our goal is to synthesize these findings for easy reference for students, faculty, regulators in govemental and non-govemental agencies, and environmental companies. While this volume maintains its rigor in terms of its depth of knowledge and quantitative information, it contains the breadth needed for wide variety problems and applications in the environmental sciences. This volume presents all of the newer and older applications of isotopes pertaining to the environmental problems in one place that is readily accessible to readers. This book not only has the depth and rigor that is needed for academia, but it has the breadth and case studies to illustrate the utility of the isotopes in a wide variety of environments (atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, terrestrial environments, and sub-surface environments) and serves a large audience, from students and researchers, regulators in federal, state and local govements, and environmental companies.
Contents.
Introductory Chapters.
Environmental Isotope Geochemistry: Past, Present and Future.
An Overview of Isotope Geochemistry in Environmental Studies.
Humans and Isotopes: Impacts and Tracers of Human Interactions with the Environment.
Isotopes as Tracers of Continental and Aquatic Processes.
Lithium Isotopes as Tracers in Marine and Terrestrial Environments.
Meteoric 7Be and 10Be as Process Tracers in the Environment.
Silicon Isotopes as Tracers of Terrestrial Processes.
Calcium Isotopes as Tracers of Biogeochemical Processes.
Natural and Anthropogenic Cd Isotope Variations.
Stable Isotopes of Cr and Se as Tracers of Redox Processes in Earth Surface Environments.
Stable Isotopes of Transition and Post-Transition Metals as Tracers in Environmental Studies.
Applications of Osmium and Iridium as Biogeochemical Tracers in the Environment.
Applications of Stable Mercury Isotopes to Biogeochemistry.
Thallium Isotopes and Their Application to Problems in Earth and Environmental Science.
Po-210 in the Environment: Biogeochemical Cycling and Bioavailability.
Applications of Groundwater Helium.
Applications of Short-Lived Radionuclides (7Be, 210Pb, 210Po, 137Cs and 234Th) to Trace the Sources, Transport Pathways and Deposition of Particles/Sediments in Rivers, Estuaries and Coasts.
Radium Isotope Tracers to Evaluate Coastal Ocean Mixing and Residence Times.
Natural Radium and Radon Tracers to Quantify Water Exchange and Movement in Reservoirs.
Applications of Anthropogenic Radionuclides as Tracers to Investigate Marine Environmental Processes.
Applications of Transuranics as Tracers and Chronometers in the Environment.
Tracing the Sources and Biogeochemical Cycling of Phosphorus in Aquatic Systems Using Isotopes of Oxygen in Phosphate.
Isotopic Tracing of Perchlorate in the Environment.
The Isotopomers of Nitrous Oxide: Analytical Considerations and Application to Resolution of Microbial Production Pathways.
Using Cosmogenic Radionuclides for the Determination of Effective Surface Exposure Age and Time-Averaged Erosion Rates.
Measuring Soil Erosion Rates Using Natural (7Be, 210Pb) and Anthropogenic (137Cs, 239,240Pu) Radionuclides.
Sr and Nd Isotopes as Tracers of Chemical and Physical Erosion.
Constraining Rates of Chemical and Physical Erosion Using U-Series Radionuclides.
Isotopes as Tracers of Atmospheric Processes.
Applications of Cosmogenic Isotopes as Atmospheric Tracers.
Uranium, Thorium and Anthropogenic Radionuclides as Atmospheric Tracers.
Oxygen Isotope Dynamics of Atmospheric Nitrate and Its Precursor Molecules.
Isotopes as Tracers of Environmental Forensics.
Applications of Stable Isotopes in Hydrocarbon Exploration and Environmental Forensics.
Utility of Stable Isotopes of Hydrogen and Carbon as Tracers of POPs and Related Polyhalogenated Compounds in the Environment.
Isotopes as Tracers in Archaeology and Anthropology.
Light-Element Isotopes (H, C, N, and O) as Tracers of Human Diet: A Case Study on Fast Food Meals.
Stable Isotopes of Carbon and Nitrogen as Tracers for Paleo-Diet Reconstruction.
Applications of Sr Isotopes in Archaeology.
Sources of Lead and Its Mobility in the Human Body Inferred from Lead Isotopes.
Isotopes as Tracers of Paleoclimate and Paleoenvironments.
Dating of Biogenic and Inorganic Carbonates Using 210Pb-226Ra Disequilibrium Method: A Review.
Isotope Dendroclimatology: A Review with a Special Emphasis on Tropics.
The N, O, S Isotopes of Oxy-Anions in Ice Cores and Polar Environments.
Stable Isotopes of N and Ar as Tracers to Retrieve Past Air Temperature from Air Trapped in Ice Cores.
Applications of radioactive and stable isotopes have revolutionized our understanding of the Earth and near-earth surface processes. The utility of the isotopes are ever-increasing and our sole focus is to bring out the applications of these isotopes as tracers and chronometers to a wider audience so that they can be used as powerful tools to solve environmental problems. New developments in this field remain mostly in peer-reviewed joual articles and hence our goal is to synthesize these findings for easy reference for students, faculty, regulators in govemental and non-govemental agencies, and environmental companies. While this volume maintains its rigor in terms of its depth of knowledge and quantitative information, it contains the breadth needed for wide variety problems and applications in the environmental sciences. This volume presents all of the newer and older applications of isotopes pertaining to the environmental problems in one place that is readily accessible to readers. This book not only has the depth and rigor that is needed for academia, but it has the breadth and case studies to illustrate the utility of the isotopes in a wide variety of environments (atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, terrestrial environments, and sub-surface environments) and serves a large audience, from students and researchers, regulators in federal, state and local govements, and environmental companies.
Contents.
Introductory Chapters.
Environmental Isotope Geochemistry: Past, Present and Future.
An Overview of Isotope Geochemistry in Environmental Studies.
Humans and Isotopes: Impacts and Tracers of Human Interactions with the Environment.
Isotopes as Tracers of Continental and Aquatic Processes.
Lithium Isotopes as Tracers in Marine and Terrestrial Environments.
Meteoric 7Be and 10Be as Process Tracers in the Environment.
Silicon Isotopes as Tracers of Terrestrial Processes.
Calcium Isotopes as Tracers of Biogeochemical Processes.
Natural and Anthropogenic Cd Isotope Variations.
Stable Isotopes of Cr and Se as Tracers of Redox Processes in Earth Surface Environments.
Stable Isotopes of Transition and Post-Transition Metals as Tracers in Environmental Studies.
Applications of Osmium and Iridium as Biogeochemical Tracers in the Environment.
Applications of Stable Mercury Isotopes to Biogeochemistry.
Thallium Isotopes and Their Application to Problems in Earth and Environmental Science.
Po-210 in the Environment: Biogeochemical Cycling and Bioavailability.
Applications of Groundwater Helium.
Applications of Short-Lived Radionuclides (7Be, 210Pb, 210Po, 137Cs and 234Th) to Trace the Sources, Transport Pathways and Deposition of Particles/Sediments in Rivers, Estuaries and Coasts.
Radium Isotope Tracers to Evaluate Coastal Ocean Mixing and Residence Times.
Natural Radium and Radon Tracers to Quantify Water Exchange and Movement in Reservoirs.
Applications of Anthropogenic Radionuclides as Tracers to Investigate Marine Environmental Processes.
Applications of Transuranics as Tracers and Chronometers in the Environment.
Tracing the Sources and Biogeochemical Cycling of Phosphorus in Aquatic Systems Using Isotopes of Oxygen in Phosphate.
Isotopic Tracing of Perchlorate in the Environment.
The Isotopomers of Nitrous Oxide: Analytical Considerations and Application to Resolution of Microbial Production Pathways.
Using Cosmogenic Radionuclides for the Determination of Effective Surface Exposure Age and Time-Averaged Erosion Rates.
Measuring Soil Erosion Rates Using Natural (7Be, 210Pb) and Anthropogenic (137Cs, 239,240Pu) Radionuclides.
Sr and Nd Isotopes as Tracers of Chemical and Physical Erosion.
Constraining Rates of Chemical and Physical Erosion Using U-Series Radionuclides.
Isotopes as Tracers of Atmospheric Processes.
Applications of Cosmogenic Isotopes as Atmospheric Tracers.
Uranium, Thorium and Anthropogenic Radionuclides as Atmospheric Tracers.
Oxygen Isotope Dynamics of Atmospheric Nitrate and Its Precursor Molecules.
Isotopes as Tracers of Environmental Forensics.
Applications of Stable Isotopes in Hydrocarbon Exploration and Environmental Forensics.
Utility of Stable Isotopes of Hydrogen and Carbon as Tracers of POPs and Related Polyhalogenated Compounds in the Environment.
Isotopes as Tracers in Archaeology and Anthropology.
Light-Element Isotopes (H, C, N, and O) as Tracers of Human Diet: A Case Study on Fast Food Meals.
Stable Isotopes of Carbon and Nitrogen as Tracers for Paleo-Diet Reconstruction.
Applications of Sr Isotopes in Archaeology.
Sources of Lead and Its Mobility in the Human Body Inferred from Lead Isotopes.
Isotopes as Tracers of Paleoclimate and Paleoenvironments.
Dating of Biogenic and Inorganic Carbonates Using 210Pb-226Ra Disequilibrium Method: A Review.
Isotope Dendroclimatology: A Review with a Special Emphasis on Tropics.
The N, O, S Isotopes of Oxy-Anions in Ice Cores and Polar Environments.
Stable Isotopes of N and Ar as Tracers to Retrieve Past Air Temperature from Air Trapped in Ice Cores.