Comparative dissolution behaviors of silicate glasses (nuclear and basaltic) and minerals (olivine and zircon) have been investigated by means of Rutherford backscattering (RBS) and hydrogen profiling by resonant nuclear reaction analysis (RNRA). The basic difference stems from the formation on glasses of an hydrated silica layer where most heavy elements tend to accumulate while minerals dissolve congruently. By means of low energy heavy ion implantations, we show that for a sufficient density of defects olivine exhibits a marked hydration coupled with an accumulation of iron on a thickness of ∼ 60 nm, whereas the extremely slow dissolution of zircon remains congruent. The similarity in dissolution behaviors of glasses and radiation-damaged minerals suggests that hydrated layers are generated by an in situ hydration of the silicate network where easily hydrolyzed elements are readily retained.