Nanoparticles and the Environment, edited by J.F. Banfield and A. Navrotsky. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry 44, (2001); 349 pp., 118 figures, 16 tables. [ISBN 0-939950-56-1]. Price $28

Abstract

Nanoparticles and the Environment is volume 44 in the highly successful review series entitled Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry (RIM&G) co-produced by the Mineralogical Society of America and the Geochemical Society. Books in the series are typically accompanied by a 1–2 day short course given by the contributing authors, which in this case occurred on December 8–9, 2001 at the University of California at Davis. Since the inception of the book series in 1974, nearly 50 volumes have been produced. The majority of previous volumes either cover specific mineral groups or constituents (~55%), reaction processes (~19%), methodologies (~17%), or minerals under specific thermodynamic conditions (~6%). Only one volume has considered issues related to dimensionality as a central focus area ( Mineral-Water Interfacial Geochemistry , volume 23). While several of the volumes have focused on minerals that are inherently small-sized, Nanoparticles and the Environment is the first book in the series centered primarily on the effects of particle size on particle properties and reactivity. Also, in contrast to most previous volumes, which are usually inspired by the need to distill a large surplus of scientific findings in a …