Nanogeoscience - Elements

December 2008
Volume 4, Number 6
ISSN 1811-5209
Nanogeoscience
MICHAEL F. HOCHELLA JR., Guest Editor
From Origins to Cutting-Edge Applications
Stucture, Chemistry, and Properties
of Mineral Nanoparticles
Nanoparticles in the Atmosphere
Nanoparticles in the Soil Environment
Metal Transport by
Iron Oxide Nanovectors
Biogenic Uraninite Nanoparticles

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Nanogeoscience
Michael F. Hochella Jr., Guest Editor
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Volume 4, Number 6 December 2008
Nanogeoscience: From Origins
to Cutting-Edge Applications
Michael F. Hochella Jr.
Structure, Chemistry, and Properties
of Mineral Nanoparticles
Glenn A. Waychunas and Hengzhong Zhang
Nanoparticles in the Atmosphere
Peter R. Buseck and Kouji Adachi
Nanoparticles in the Soil Environment
Benny K. G. Theng and Guodong Yuan
Iron Oxides as Geochemical Nanovectors
for Metal Transport in Soil–River Systems
Martin Hassellöv and Frank von der Kammer
Biogenic Uraninite Nanoparticles and
Their Importance for Uranium Remediation
John R. Bargar, Rizlan Bernier-Latmani, Daniel E. Giammar,
and Bradley M. Tebo
361
@AN T S SGD BNUDQ9
Calculated atomic structure
of a water-covered, 3 nm
diameter ZnS nanoparticle
shown adjacent to the edge
of the Earth, 1.27 x 10 16
nm in diameter. This highly
contrasting juxtaposition is
meant to suggest that despite
the enormous difference
in size, naturally occurring
nanomaterials have recently
been recognized as important
factors in how the Earth
works. This issue of Elements
shows how many aspects of
our environment, from the
air we breathe to the water
we drink, from bacteria
to earthquakes and the
distribution of Earth elements,
depend in fascinating ways
on the smallest minerals that
make up our world. HL @FDR
BNTQSDRX N E M@R@ ’ D@QS G( @MC
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Departments
Editorial – Great Science or Grey Goo? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 363
From the Editors – 2009 Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364
Triple Point – et alii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
People in the News – Jeanloz, Evans, Badro . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Obituary – Sakai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368
Meet the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370
Society News
Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 413
The Clay Minerals Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414
Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland . . . . . . . . 416
Sociedad Española de Mineralogía . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
Mineralogical Society of Poland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 418
International Association of Geoanalysts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 419
Mineralogical Society of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .420
International Association of GeoChemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . .422
Società Italiana di Mineralogia e Petrologia . . . . . . . . . . . . .423
Mineralogical Association of Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 424
International Mineralogical Association . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .426
Meeting Reports – Eurispet; Nature’s Treasures . . . . . . . . . 427
Book Review – Fluid–Fluid Interactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 428
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 429
Parting Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 431
Advertisers in This Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432

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ELEMENTS 362
DECEMBER 2008

PRINCIPAL EDITORS
E. BRUCE WATSON, Rensselaer Poly technic
Institute, USA (watsoe@rpi.edu)
SUSAN L. S. STIPP, Københavns Universitet,
Denmark (stipp@nano.ku.dk)
DAVID J. VAUGHAN, The University of
Manchester, UK (david.vaughan@
manchester.ac.uk)
ADVISORY BOARD
ROBERTO COMPAGNONI, Università degli
Studi di Torino, Italy
RANDALL T. CYGAN, Sandia National
Laboratories, USA
JAMES I. DREVER, University of Wyoming, USA
ADRIAN FINCH, University of St Andrews, UK
JOHN E. GRAY, U.S. Geological Survey, USA
JANUSZ JANECZEK, University of Silesia, Poland
HANS KEPPLER, Bayerisches Geoinstitut,
Germany
DAVID R. LENTZ, University of New Brunswick,
Canada
MAGGI LOUBSER, University of Pretoria, South
Africa
DOUGLAS K. MCCARTY, Chevron Texaco, USA
KLAUS MEZGER, Universität Münster, Germany
JAMES E. MUNGALL, University of Toronto,
Canada
TAKASHI MURAKAMI, University of Tokyo, Japan
ERIC H. OELKERS, LMTG/CNRS, France
HUGH O’NEILL, Australian National University,
Australia
XAVIER QUEROL, Spanish Research Council, Spain
NANCY L. ROSS, Virginia Tech, USA
EVERETT SHOCK, Arizona State University, USA
OLIVIER VIDAL, Université J. Fourier, France
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
ROBERT BOWELL, Association of Applied
Geochemists
GIUSEPPE CRUCIANI, Società Italiana di
Mineralogia e Petrologia
BARBARA L. DUTROW, Mineralogical
Society of America
RODNEY C. EWING, Chair
RAY E. FERRELL, The Clay Minerals Society
DAVID A. FOWLE, Mineralogical Association
of Canada
CATHERINE MÉVEL, Société Française
de Minéralogie et de Cristallographie
MAREK MICHALIK, Mineralogical Society
of Poland
MANUEL PRIETO, Sociedad Española
de Mineralogía
CLEMENS REIMANN, International Association
of GeoChemistry
NEIL C. STURCHIO, Geochemical Society
PETER TRELOAR, Mineralogical
Society of Great Britain and Ireland
FRIEDHELM VON BLANCKENBURG,
Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft
MICHAEL J. WALTER, European Association
for Geochemistry
MICHAEL WIEDENBECK, International
Association of Geoanalysts
MANAGING EDITOR
PIERRETTE TREMBLAY
tremblpi@ete.inrs.ca
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The opinions expressed in this maga zine are
those of the authors and do not necessarily
refl ect the views of the publishers.
www.elementsmagazine.org
GREAT SCIENCE OR GREY GOO?
In the spring of 2003, “Prince
Fears Grey Goo Nightmare”
banner headlines appeared
in the popular press in
Britain and elsewhere. The
Prince referred to was HRH
Prince Charles, heir to the
British throne, who was
warning about the possible
risks of nanotechnology. The
“grey goo” concerned a
David J. Vaughan
hypothetical end-of-theworld
scenario in which outof-control
self-replicating nanoscale robots consume
all matter on Earth in order to build more
of themselves. The resulting mass of nanomachines,
lacking large-scale structure, would be
goo-like. This picture has far more in common
with science fi ction than with science. Indeed, a
grey goo catastrophe is the subject of the novel
Prey by Michael Crichton, bestselling author of
Jurassic Park.
As scientists, our reaction to
headlines like this is often a mixture
of horror and amusement,
along, perhaps, with a measure of
scorn for the sensationalist nature
of such writing. But we would do
well to remember that millions
of our fellow citizens rely on
these reports for their knowledge
of the issues associated with technological
development. So what
might we learn from media phenomena
like this one?
It is worth pointing out that Prince
Charles never actually used the
expression “grey goo”. To quote
from his comments following on
from the headline news, he does “not believe that
self-replicating robots, smaller than viruses, will
one day multiply uncontrollably and devour our
planet”. Indeed, he went on in these later remarks
to say much positive about the possible benefi ts
of nanotechnology to society. However, it comes
as little surprise that some journalists are happy
to “embellish” a story in order to get the eye-catching
headline – and this is something we all need to
keep in mind when engaging with the media.
What Prince Charles actually did draw attention
to are the potential risks of nanotechnology for
human health. An uncomfortable parallel was
made with the disastrous story of the drug thalidomide,
prescribed for use by pregnant women
in the nineteen sixties. The taking of this inadequately
tested pharmaceutical led to the birth
of many children with serious deformities.
So, should we be concerned about the “dangers”
of nanotechnology? The simple answer is “yes”,
but as with so many radical new developments,
it is not a situation suited to simple answers. The
applications of nanotechnology in new materials,
electronics and healthcare, to name but a few
areas, represent an industrial revolution that is
EDITORIAL
So, should we be
concerned about
the “dangers” of
nanotechnology?
The simple answer
is “yes”, but as with
so many radical
new developments,
it is not a situation
suited to simple
answers.
ELEMENTS 363
DECEMBER 2008
already well underway (as noted in the fi rst article
in this issue, corporate investment in nanotechnology
had already exceeded $4 billion worldwide
by 2006 and is projected to reach $3 trillion by
2015). Whether desirable or not, it is very diffi cult
to see how we could stop, or even slow down,
these developments.
The way forward must be to learn much more
about the behaviour of nanomaterials in the environment,
in the food chain, and in living organisms
including humans. This urgently needed
research would form the basis upon which risk to
the environment and to human health from particular
types of nanotechnologies could be assessed.
This, in turn, would lead to appropriate legislation
and regulation. Nanomaterials present new
challenges in this regard because it is not only
their chemical composition and structure, but
also their particle size that gives them their particular
properties (which could include toxicity
to humans or other life forms). Some work in the
evaluation of the potential toxicity
of nanoparticles has already
been done; much of this has
involved collating and evaluating
existing information. For example,
see reports by the UK’s Royal
Society and Royal Academy of
Engineering (www.nanotec.org.
uk), as well as (and I admit to
personal involvement here) a
project funded by the European
Commission (www.impart-nanotox.org).
The articles in this
issue of Elements are also eloquent
testimony to the role that Earth
scientists (sensu lato) can play in
this task. We have the tools and
expertise to characterise nanomaterials,
and we know of numerous
example systems in nature – these can surely be
harnessed to help in tackling this formidable
challenge.
I began this editorial by talking about the popular
press, and in returning again to consider the question
of whether we should be concerned about
the impact of nanotechnology on human health,
I want to draw attention to the concept of risk.
Communicating this concept has always proved
diffi cult: people like to have “black and white”
answers; to be given 100% assurance that they
could never be harmed by nanotechnology. We
cannot do that – or even totally eliminate the
grey goo nightmare – any more than we could
say that life on Earth could never be destroyed
by a large meteorite impact. But with a sound
knowledge base, we can estimate the risks and
take measures to reduce them to the absolute
minimum. We can then try to communicate this
information, and provide a balanced view of the
hazards of nanotechnology, comparing them, for
example, with the relatively high risks we all take
as drivers or pedestrians on our roads.
Cont’d on page 364

THIS ISSUE
“Nano” has become a very fashionable word,
and as guest editor Mike Hochella points out
in his lead article, nanotechnology is now a
multibillion-dollar business. This issue brings
to the fore the fact that nanoparticles have
always been part of our environment, hence
the importance of studying natural nanoparticles
and their impact on our health and
environment in order to illuminate the potential
impact of engineered nanoparticles. This
issue also makes clear that every crystal goes
through a “nano” phase in its growth. One
can also be awed by the fact that we are on
the verge of acquiring the technological
capability to image the structure of single
nanoparticles.
FOUR YEARS OLD!
With this issue, we close our fourth year of
publication. We have now explored 23 widely
ranging topics of relevance to our scientifi c
community and beyond, and the list of potential
topics seems to get longer and longer. This
is a reminder that we are always looking for
proposals for future topics. If you have an idea,
contact one of the principal editors. We are
now booking themes for 2010.
EDITORIAL (Cont’d from page 363)
Finally, to answer the question posed in
the headline to this editorial, I do believe
that great (nanogeo)science is being done,
as the following articles attest. As for our
being turned into grey goo, I would put
the risks of that at around a zillion to one
against – but we certainly do need rigorous
studies of the environmental and
health risks of nanotechnology.
David J. Vaughan
david.vaughan@manchester.ac.uk
ADVERTISING
FROM THE EDITORS
Among this year’s milestones are a rising
impact factor (2.23 in 2007), a print run that
has reached 13,000 copies for the last three
issues of this year, and an updated website.
OUR 2009 LINEUP
In the following two pages, we proudly present
an overview of the topics selected for 2009. All
the guest editors and authors for these issues
are hard at work already.
THANKS TO THE AUTHORS AND
GUEST EDITORS OF VOLUME 4
Once again we are indebted to a multitude of
persons who have helped Elements along, especially
the guest editors and authors who have
worked diligently to write at the level we are
striving for in the journal. Our thanks go to
volume 4 guest editors Jay D. Bass, James M.
Brenan, David R. Cole, Michael F. Hochella Jr.,
Calvin F. Miller, James E. Mungall, Eric H. Oelkers,
John B. Parise, David A. Wark, and Eugenia
Valsami-Jones.
We are also grateful to the authors of volume
4: Kouji Adachi, E. Eric Adams, Olivier Alard,
Olivier Bachmann, James Badro, John R. Bargar,
Jay D. Bass, Sally M. Benson, George Bergantz,
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ELEMENTS 364
DECEMBER 2008

Volume 5, Number 1 (February 2009)
SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION OF THE MOON
GUEST EDITOR: John W. Delano
(University at Albany, State University of New York)
An HDTV instrument on board Japan’s
KAGUYA spacecraft acquired this image
from lunar orbit on April 5, 2008. The
large crater in the foreground is Plaskett
(109 km diameter). The large crater in the
background is Rozhdestvenskiy (177 km
diameter). Earth is visible on the horizon.
HL @FDBNTQSDRX N E SGD I@O@M @DQN RO@B D
DWOKN Q@SHNM @FDMBX’ I@W@( @MC MG J
Our current understanding of the Moon’s
history, interior structure, and chemical
composition is based in large part on
geochemical data acquired from samples
from the U.S. Apollo and Soviet Luna
missions; data acquired by Apollo geophysical
instruments; orbital geochemical
and spectral data acquired by robotic
missions from the U.S., Japan, and China;
analysis of lunar meteorites derived
from previously unsampled regions of
the Moon; and Earth-based radar observations
and infrared spectral refl ectance
data. All of these efforts have contributed
to a preliminary understanding of
the origin of the Moon and the processes
that have affected its surface and interior.
Isotopic analyses of impact-gener-
ated samples have placed constraints on the time-dependent meteorite fl ux that
not only affected the Moon but also the Earth and other objects in the inner solar
system. In this issue of Elements, leading scientists discuss the major concepts that
underpin our current understanding of the Moon, as well as scientifi c plans for
international scientifi c exploration by robotic and human missions.
Ancient lunar crust: Origin, composition, and implications
G. Jeffrey Taylor (University of Hawai’i)
The lunar cataclysm: Reality or ’mythconception’?
Marc D. Norman (Australian National University)
Lunar mare volcanism: Where did the magmas come from?
Timothy L. Grove (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
The interior of the Moon: What does geophysics have to say?
Mark Wieczorek (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris)
The poles of the Moon
Paul G. Lucey (University of Hawai’i)
Volume 5, Number 2 (April 2009)
BENTONITES – VERSATILE CLAYS
GUEST EDITOR: Derek C. Bain (The Macaulay Institute)
The “Piepans” is a strongly uplifted,
middle-Cretaceous, Na-bentonite deposit
located in the Frontier Formation in the
Big Horn Basin of northwestern Wyoming,
USA. The deposit is a unique example
of erosional sculpturing. Each “pan” is
approximately 15 metres wide at the base
and 35 metres high, while the bentonite
layer is approximately 3 metres thick.
OGNSNF Q@OG AX V XN,ADM+HMB-
Of all naturally occurring clays, bentonites
are arguably the most interesting,
versatile and useful. This issue of Elements
describes how these fascinating materials
occur and how they are used in all
manner of applications. Composed predominantly
of swelling minerals (smectites)
and formed mainly from the alteration
of volcanoclastic rocks, bentonites
are used by geologists for stratigraphic
correlation. Bentonite deposits are mined
worldwide as they are commercially very
valuable. Because of their physicochemical
properties, bentonites are used in a
wide variety of industrial applications,
including the drilling industry, foundries,
civil engineering, adsorbents, fi ltering,
etc. Recent formulations of polymer–
smectite nanocomposites have been used
in industry to make new materials with
amazing properties and diverse applications. Bentonites play an important role in
the protection of the environment from industrial waste and pollutants and have
also been used in medical applications in human health.
FROM THE EDITORS
Thematic Topics in 2009
Bentonites – Clays for many functions
Necip Guven (Texas Tech University)
Geological aspects and genesis of bentonites
George E. Christidis (Technical University of Crete) and Warren D. Huff
(University of Cincinnati)
Bentonite and its impact on modern life
Don D. Eisenhour (Amcol International) and Richard K. Brown (Wyo-Ben Inc.)
Bentonite, bandaids, and borborygmi
Lynda B. Williams and Shelley E. Haydel (Arizona State University),
and Ray E. Ferrell Jr. (Louisiana State University)
Bentonite clay keeps pollutants at bay
Will P. Gates and Abdelmalek Bouazza (Monash University),
and G. Jock Churchman (University of Adelaide)
Acid activation of bentonites and polymer–clay nanocomposites
Kathleen A. Carrado (Argonne National Laboratory) and Peter
Komadel (Slovak Academy of Sciences)
Volume 5, Number 3 (June 2009)
GEMS
GUEST EDITORS: Emmanuel Fritsch and Benjamin Rondeau
(Université de Nantes)
The term “gem” covers a large
range of products: single crystals
(diamond), amorphous minerals
(opal), organics (pearl), rocks
(lapis, jade), imitations (glass),
synthetics, treated stones (Bediffused
corundum), faceted
or rough objects, and even
assemblages of various materials
(inlay or intarsia). This composite
picture shows, from top to
bottom: a natural jadeite-jade
carving; lapis lazuli with matrix,
accompanied by a high-quality
lapis cabochon in front; a precious
boulder opal-A from Queensland,
Australia; a pear-shaped, briolettecut
near-colorless glass; a slightly
dissolved octahedral diamond
crystal; a gem intarsia by N.
Medvedev (containing malachite,
opal, lapis, turquoise, and purple
sugilite); a red andesine feldspar;
a beryllium-diffused orangy-red
sapphire; a dyed green jadeite
cabochon; and fi ve white to
golden South Sea beaded cultured
pearls. OGNSN AX Q- V DKC NM+
BNTQSDRX F H@
ELEMENTS 365
DECEMBER 2008
Most gems are natural minerals, which, although
scarce and small, have a major impact on society.
Their value is directly related to proper identifi -
cation. The determination of the species is key,
of course, and must be done non-destructively.
This is where classical tools of mineralogy come
into play. However, other issues are paramount:
Has this gem been treated? Is it natural or was it
grown in a laboratory? For certain varieties, being
able to tell the geographical provenance may
enhance value considerably. These issues necessitate
cross-linking the formation of gems with
their trace-element chemistry. These unusual
mineralogical and geochemical challenges make
the specifi city of gemology, a new and growing
science, one of the possible futures of mineralogy.
Gemology, the emerging science of gems
Emmanuel Fritsch and Benjamin
Rondeau (Université de Nantes – CNRS)
The formation of gem minerals: When
Mother Nature cooks the right recipe
Lee Groat (University of British
Columbia) and Brendan Laurs
(Gemological Institute of America)
The geochemistry of gems and its
relevance to gemology: Different
traces, different prices
George Rossman (California Institute of
Technology)
The identifi cation of faceted gemstones:
From the naked eye to laboratory
techniques
Franck Notari (GemtechLab) and Bertrand
Devouard (Université Blaise Pascal – CNRS)
Seeking cheap perfection: Synthetic gems
Robert E. Kane (Fine Gems International)
Cont’d on page 366

Improving on nature: Treatments
James E. Shigley and Shane F. McClure (Gemological Institute of America)
Pearls and corals: Trendy biomineralizations
Jean-Pierre Gauthier (Lyon) and Stefanos Karampelas
(University of Thessaloniki and Université de Nantes)
Volume 5, Number 4 (August 2009)
MINERAL MAGNETISM:
FROM MICROBES TO METEORITES
GUEST EDITORS: Richard J. Harrison (University of Cambridge) and
Joshua M. Feinberg (University of Minnesota)
An example of a fully processed electron
hologram showing a cross-section through
a magnetite/ulvöspinel inclusion exsolved
in clinopyroxene. This particular image
was collected at 89 K (-184°C). White lines
indicate the outline of individual magnetite
grains. The magnetization in the plane of the
image is indicated using contours, colors, and
arrows. The hologram shows the magnetic
induction within and between magnetite
grains, allowing for the study of non-uniform
magnetization within individual grains as
well as magnetostatic interactions among
populations of grains.
Magnetic minerals are ubiquitous in
the natural environment. They are
also present in a wide range of biological
organisms, from bacteria to
human beings. These minerals carry
a wealth of information encoded in
their magnetic properties. Mineral
magnetism decodes this information
and applies it to an ever increasing
range of geoscience problems, from
the origin of magnetic anomalies on
Mars to quantifying variations in
Earth’s paleoclimate. The last ten
years have seen a striking improvement
in our ability to detect and image,
with higher and higher resolution,
the magnetization of minerals
in geological and biological samples.
This issue is devoted to some of the
most exciting recent developments
in mineral magnetism and their applications
to Earth and environmental
sciences, astrophysics, and biology.
Mineral magnetism: Providing new insights into geoscience processes
Richard J. Harrison (University of Cambridge) and
Joshua M. Feinberg (University of Minnesota)
Magnetic monitoring of climate and environmental health
Barbara Maher (Lancaster University)
Single-crystal paleomagnetism
John Tarduno (University of Rochester)
Insights into biomagnetism using electron holography
and electron tomography
Mihaly Posfai (University of Pannonia) and Rafal Dunin-Borkowski
(Technical University of Denmark)
Extraterrestrial magnetism
Benjamin Weiss (MIT) and Pierre Rochette (CEREGE)
Sedimentary magnetism
Lisa Tauxe (University of California–San Diego)
Volume 5, Number 5 (October 2009)
GOLD
GUEST EDITORS: Robert Hough and Charles Butt (CSIRO Exploration
and Mining, Australia)
Gold fascinates researchers in many sciences. As well as being attractive as a precious
metal, gold has important physical and electrical properties that cause it to be
an ’advanced material’ for manufacturing and drug delivery in medical science.
Geologically, gold can be transported in solution in ambient- as well as high-temperature
fl uids, and its mineralogy, composition and crystallography are often used
to decipher and interpret the genesis of different gold-bearing ore systems. Because
gold is a metal, its study requires a detailed understanding of metallography.
FROM THE EDITORS
Thematic Topics in 2009
Finally, nano crystals of gold and its alloys
display unique properties, and these
products are fi nding widespread application
in manufacturing and are also seen
in the natural environment. This issue of
Elements describes new observations about
a metal that has fascinated humans since
early times. Current research spans the
fi elds of geochemistry, crystallography,
and metallurgy, and includes novel studies
in the materials sciences.
New developments in the geology of gold deposits
Dick Tosdal (University of British Columbia)
Gold in solution
Anthony Williams-Jones (McGill University)
Mineralogy, crystallography and metallography of gold
Rob Hough, Charles Butt (CSIRO Australia); Joerg Fischer Buhner
(Lego Gp, Italy)
The biogeochemistry of gold
Gordon Southam (University of British Columbia)
Gold and nanotechnology
Younan Xia (Washington State University)
Volume 5, Number 6 (December 2009)
LOW-TEMPERATURE METAL
STABLE ISOTOPE GEOCHEMISTRY
GUEST EDITOR: Thomas D. Bullen (U.S. Geological Survey)
During the past decade it has been recognized that the stable isotope compositions
of several metallic elements vary signifi cantly in nature due to both biotic and
abiotic processing. While this leap in our understanding has been fueled by recent
advances in instrumentation and techniques in both thermal ionization and
inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, the fi eld of metal stable isotope
geochemistry has fi nally moved beyond a focus on development of analytical
techniques and toward using the isotopes as source and process tracers in natural
and experimental systems. Often termed the “non-traditional stable isotopes,” metal
stable isotope systems have found wide application in the geological, hydrological,
and environmental research realms and are enjoying a rapidly expanding presence
in the scientifi c literature. This issue of Elements will focus on several intriguing
aspects of low-temperature metal stable isotope geochemistry.
Reconciling predicted and observed metal isotope fractionations
Edwin Schauble, Pamela Hill, and Merlin Meheut (UCLA)
Mass-dependent and mass-independent isotope fractionation of
Hg: Implications for understanding Hg cycling in ecosystems
Bridget A. Bergquist (University of Toronto) and Joel D. Blum
(University of Michigan)
Multi-tracer approaches for understanding paleo-redox conditions
Ariel Anbar (Arizona State University), Silke Severmann (University of
California-Riverside), and Gwyneth Gordon (Arizona State University)
Cation cycling processes at local to global scales
Albert Galy (University of Cambridge), Jérôme Gaillardet (University
of Paris, France), and Edward Tipper (ETH Zurich)
Forensic and biomedical applications of metal stable isotopes
Thomas Bullen (U.S. Geological Survey), Thomas Walczyk
(University of Singapore), and Thomas Johnson (University of
Illinois/Urbana-Champaign)
The metal stable isotope biogeochemistry of higher plants
Friedhelm von Blanckenburg (GFZ-Potsdam), Dominik Weiss
(Imperial College London), Monica Gulke (University of Hannover),
and Thomas Bullen (U.S. Geological Survey)
ELEMENTS 366
DECEMBER 2008

ET ALII
This past winter, I was invited by one of our undergraduates to participate
in a student government symposium on scientifi c integrity. I
joined colleagues from natural science departments on a panel to discuss
scientifi c integrity and take questions from students. To my surprise,
most of the discussion was about lab reports. The students do
the laboratory exercises as a team but write separate reports. They are
graded as individuals. The concern was about how to evaluate the work
of an individual in the collective effort. The physics department had
the ultimate weapon, a computer algorithm that compares
all laboratory reports, past and present, sniffi ng
out any evidence of plagiarism. Still, some students,
several percent, take their chance, copy old reports, and
test the power of the algorithm. When the evening
ended, I thought that we had become part of the
problem. Rather than focusing on how lab reports are
graded, we had missed the perfect opportunity to discuss
the role of teamwork and collaboration in modern
science.
Collaborations consisting of large, multidisciplinary teams of scientists
and engineers have become a hallmark of modern science. Complex
scientifi c problems, such as the causes and impacts of climate change,
require teams that can bring a wide variety of skills, experience, and
perspectives to bear on these grand issues. Increasingly, funding agencies
stimulate these collaborations with investments in centers and
institutes rather than in individual principal investigators. The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change called on over 1200 lead
and contributing authors over six years to create their three-volume
4 th assessment report. The IPCC is, perhaps, an unusual example, but
the trend towards increased collaboration is science-wide and most
evident in “big” science. A single paper describing the ATLAS detector
for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN weighed in at 3522 authors (13
pages were required to list all of the authors). Other joint efforts, such
as the sequencing of genomes, require hundreds of authors: 468 for
the mouse (Nature, 2002, 420: 520-560) and 338 for rice (Science, 2002,
296: 79-92). Large-scale medical trials, galactic-scale surveys, and planetary
exploration typically require from 50 to 900 authors. Based on
ISI statistics (see ScienceWatch, 2004, July/August), there was a steep
increase in the early 1990s in the number of papers in the physical
sciences with fi fty to one hundred authors. In 1990, the mean number
of authors was 2.6, and in 2003, it was 3.6. During that same period
the number of single-author papers declined from 38% to 25%. Nature
reports that during the fi rst nine months of 2008, there were only six
single-author papers among some 700 reports (Nature, 455: 720-723).
On a smaller scale are papers with fewer than 50 authors, and for these
papers one might imagine that all of the authors have at least met. In
TRIPLE POINT
How many
authors does it take
to write a paper?
the geosciences, the number of authors is usually at this scale: 52 for
deep-sea ocean drilling (Science, 2006, 312: 1016-1020) and 33 for water
on Mars (Science, 2007, 317: 1706-1709), to give just two examples.
What is one to make of the growing number of authors on each paper?
How many authors does it take to write a paper? What “credit” should
each receive from the collective effort? On the positive side of the
ledger, which greatly outweighs the negative, this trend represents the
best effort of scientists grappling with increasingly complex problems
that require the collective skills of many. With the proliferation of
advanced analytical techniques and increasingly sophisticated computational
methods, it is the exceptional scientist who has all of the
equipment or intellectual skills required to address even relatively
“small” scientifi c questions. There are, however, negatives, such as the
ill-named concept of “honorary” authorship (there is no honor in honorary
authorship) and the diffi culty of determining responsibility for
error, as well as success. This leaves institutions struggling with the
apportionment of “credit” as they conduct their annual reviews—the
same problem that professors had in grading laboratory reports.
Universities quantify and confuse, using algorithms that count citations,
and they apportion credit based on the number of authors (fewer
is better) and position in the sequence of authors (fi rst, second, and
last seem to be preferred; see Science, 2008, 322: 371). I have even listened
to a vice-president for research encourage junior faculty to enter
into collaborative, high-risk, multidisciplinary research, with the serious
assurance that their individual contributions can be extracted from
the whole at the time of the tenure decision.
This dissection of teamwork into individual contributions is the antithesis
of a good team-building philosophy. In parallel with the growth
in team science, we need new rules and measures of success. Here sports
provide guidance. Red Auerbach, with his victory cigar, led the Boston
Celtics to nine NBA championships as a coach and
seven more as general manager and team president. He
changed modern basketball by emphasizing team play
over the accomplishments of the individual. At a
moment when the great center Bill Russell was struggling
on court, Auerbach promised him that at the end
of the year, during contract negotiations, Auerbach
would not count the number of goals scored by Russell,
but rather the number of games won by the Celtics.
The rest is history. Bill Russell became one of the game’s greatest defensive
players (21,620 rebounds) but also scored 14,522 career points.
Russell finished his career with 11 NBA championships. Wilt
Chamberlain, Russell’s long-time rival, scored 31,419 points (4 th all-time
record), but had only two NBA championships. Teamwork prevailed
over individual talent. Universities and professional societies with their
individual awards and medals are not well suited for recognizing good
team science. Individual scientists are rarely credited for their team’s
success, only their individual contributions. Academic mentors caution
against too much collaboration prior to the tenure decision. From a
scientist’s earliest days as a student writing a laboratory report until
tenure, the system discourages collaboration.
There must be a better way. Rather than insisting on separate laboratory
reports, the evening’s discussion of scientifi c integrity might have been
an opportunity to discuss the obligations and benefi ts of being a team
member (see “Group Theory,” Nature, 2008, 455: 720-723). The students
could have grappled with the common problem of the “weak” team
member, and they could have argued over the sequence of authors on
the lab report. Such discussion would inform our own perspectives of
what it means to be a coauthor. Some journals, like Nature, require a
clear statement of the contribution of each author as part of the publication
process. This is a fi rst step, but a step still focused on the
individual contribution—not the impact or importance of the team.
ELEMENTS 367
DECEMBER 2008
Rod Ewing
University of Michigan
(rodewing@umich.edu)

2008 HANS BETHE AWARD TO RAYMOND JEANLOZ
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) has chosen
Raymond Jeanloz, a professor of geophysics and astronomy
at the University of California, Berkeley, as the recipient
of the 2008 Hans Bethe Award for “his demonstration
of the reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile in the
presence of a moratorium on nuclear testing.”
In addition to his primary scientifi c work on the behavior
of matter at high temperatures and pressures and its application to
planetary interiors, Jeanloz applies his expertise to vital questions of
national security as the chair of the National Academy of Science’s
Committee on International Security and Arms Control (CISAC). Under
his leadership, CISAC published several studies and analyses of major
security issues, such as nuclear weapons policy, the management of
weapons-useable material, and the future of U.S. nuclear forces (www.
nas.edu/cisac). At the conclusion of his review of the National Nuclear
Security Administration’s Stockpile Stewardship Program, Jeanloz proclaimed
it an amazing success and confi rmed the ability of the United
States to sustain its nuclear weapons stockpile.
“Raymond Jeanloz’s investigation into the effects of aging of materials,
components, and systems within the U.S. nuclear arsenal found that
the materials that make up the nuclear core are far more stable and
predictable than anyone would have anticipated,” said Ivan Oelrich,
vice president of the strategic security program at the Federation of
American Scientists. “His conclusion that the U.S. stockpile will be stable
for periods of at least 60 years took the wind out of the sails of advocates
for new nuclear weapons.”
Jeanloz’s analysis demonstrates the resilience of the U.S. nuclear weapons
establishment and provides an opportunity for an extensive examination
of post–Cold War nuclear weapons policy and its role in the 21 st century.
“The world’s only superpower would send a negative signal to the nonnuclear
states if it felt the need to develop new types of nuclear weapons,”
wrote Raymond Jeanloz in the March 2003 edition of Arms Control Today.
Throughout the 1990s, Jeanloz advised the U.S. Department of Energy,
adding a responsible voice to the National Nuclear Security Administration
Advisory Committee. As a Berkeley professor, Jeanloz has served on
committees and panels including the National Security Panel and
Nonproliferation, Arms Control and International Security Advisory
Committee of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Hans A. Bethe cofounded the Federation of Atomic Scientists, now the
Federation of American Scientists (FAS), with the belief that scientists
had an obligation to participate in the diffi cult choices that were forced
on the U.S. by the extraordinary advances in nuclear physics, demonstrated
by the development and use of atomic weapons. The FAS Hans
Bethe Award is presented annually to an outstanding individual using
science to promote a more secure world.
OBITUARY
PROFESSOR HITOSHI SAKAI
1930–2008
Professor Sakai with his wife
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
ADAPTED FROM FAS WEBSITE
Prof. Hitoshi Sakai, internationally renowned
geochemist and former president of the
International Association of GeoChemistry
(IAGC), died in Japan on 30 September 2008
after a protracted illness. He was 78 years old.
The geochemistry community mourns his
passing. Over the course of a long career, Hitoshi
Sakai made important contributions to understanding
the fractionation of stable isotopes
and behavior of thermal fl uids in various
geological and geochemical environments.
He served as vice president of IAGC from 1988
to 1992 and then as its president from 1992
to 1996. Hitoshi began his professional career
MSA AWARDS TO EVANS AND BADRO
Dr. Bernard W. Evans, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, received
the 2008 Roebling Medal of the Mineralogical Society of America, given
for a lifetime of outstanding original research in mineralogy. His lasting
contributions include showing how “petrologic mineralogy” can be
used to understand the chemical and physical evolution of the Earth’s
crust and mantle and his pioneer use of the electron microprobe for
petrological studies. He has studied basaltic and basic igneous rocks,
contact metamorphism, metamorphosed mantle rocks, blueschists, and
the thermodynamics of amphiboles.
Bernard W. Evans with citationist Donna L. Whitney and MSA president Peter J. Heaney
The Mineralogical Society of America Award is given for outstanding
contributions by a scientist beginning his or her career. Dr. James Badro,
Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Paris, France, is the 2008 award
recipient. He is recognized for his work on the behavior of materials at
the extreme pressures and temperatures of the Earth’s deep interior. In
particular, his work on the electronic or magnetic transitions and sound
velocity in mantle minerals aims at understanding the make-up and
processes of Earth’s mantle, which can only be studied remotely and
indirectly.
James Badro with citationist Ho-kwang “Dave” Mao and MSA president Peter J. Heaney
ELEMENTS 368
DECEMBER 2008
at Okayama University at Misasa, where he
organized and hosted the 4 th International
Symposium on Water–Rock Interactions in
1983. He then moved to the Ocean Research
Institute of the University of Tokyo in 1983
and undertook research worldwide on submarine
hydrothermal systems. During this time
he was co–chief scientist of Leg 111 of the
Ocean Drilling Program at the important Site
504B on the fl ank of the Costa Rica rift near
the Galapagos spreading centre; a focus of this
program was hydrothermal circulation in
oceanic crust. Hitoshi then taught at Yamagata
University until his retirement in 1996.

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John R. Bargar, senior
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Radiation Lightsource,
received his BS in geology
and mineralogy (1990)
from the Ohio State
University and his PhD
in geological and environmental sciences
from Stanford University (1996). Bargar’s
principal research interests lie in the areas of
geomicrobiology, low-temperature aqueous
geochemistry, and mineral–water interface
geochemistry. His current research activities
deal with the structural chemistry and environmental
reactivity of biogenic minerals,
investigated under in situ conditions with
synchrotron-based scattering and spectroscopy
techniques. His work aims at elucidating the
roles of biogenic minerals in the biogeochemical
cycling of elements in the biosphere.
Rizlan Bernier-Latmani
is an assistant professor
of environmental microbiology
at École Polytechnique
Fédérale de
Lausanne (EPFL). Her
research deals mainly
with the interactions
between bacteria and metals, including
biomineral formation and microbially driven
mineral corrosion. She is interested in the
biological mechanism of metal reduction, the
role of biomolecules in determining characteristics
of the biomineral products, and how
these processes affect the environmental
impact of contaminants. She obtained her
PhD from Stanford University in 2001 and
joined the EPFL faculty in 2005 after a postdoc
at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Peter R. Buseck is
Regents’ Professor at
Arizona State University.
His degrees, all in geology,
are from Antioch College
and Columbia University,
and he was a postdoc at
the Geophysical Laboratory
in Washington, DC. He conducts research on
(1) crystal structures and defects in minerals
at the atomic level using high-resolution
transmission electron microscopy; (2) the
geochemistry and mineralogy of primitive
meteorites; and (3) the nature of aerosol
particles such as airborne minerals, soot, and
other small grains, their chemical and physical
reactions (e.g. deliquescence, effl orescence)
in the atmosphere, and their effects on air
quality and climate change.
Daniel E. Giammar is
an associate professor in
the Department of Energy,
Environmental, and
Chemical Engineering at
Washington University
in St. Louis, where he is
also a member of the
Center for Materials Innovation and the
Environmental Studies Program. His research
centers on chemical reactions that affect the
fate and transport of heavy metals and radion
uclides in natural and engineered aquatic
systems. He received his BS in civil engineering
from Carnegie Mellon University and his MS
and PhD in environmental engineering science
at Caltech. After a postdoc in geosciences at
Princeton, he joined the faculty of Washington
University in 2002.
Martin Hassellöv is an
associate professor in
analytical environmental
chemistry at the University
of Gothenburg (UG),
Sweden. He received a
PhD in 1999 for a study
on the development of
fi eld-fl ow fractionation coupled to inductively
coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the
determination of size-based distributions of
trace elements on natural nanoparticles.
During his Fulbright Commission postdoctoral
fellowship at Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution, he studied colloidal transport of
plutonium in groundwater. At UG his group
studies the role of natural colloidal nanoparticles
in the reaction and transport of metals
in various aquatic environments. He has also
recently initiated research on the environmental
chemistry of synthetic nanomaterials.
ELEMENTS 370
DECEMBER 2008
Michael F. Hochella Jr.
is currently University
Distinguished Professor
at Virginia Tech. He
received his graduate
degrees under Jerry
Gibbs and Gordon
Brown at Virginia Tech
and Stanford University, respectively, and
has been a professor at both institutions. His
research interests include nanoscience and
nanogeoscience, surface science, and environmental
science, particularly environmental
geochemistry and biogeochemistry. He is a
fellow of six societies, including AGU and
AAAS, and has received a number of medals
and awards. He is one of the four original
editors of Elements magazine, along with Rod
Ewing, Ian Parsons, and Pierrette Tremblay.
Frank von der Kammer’s
research interests are
focused on environmental
processes at the nanoscale
and especially on
the understanding of the
role of environmental
colloids and nanoparticles
in the aquatic environment. Another area of
his research is the investigation of the
behavior and effects of engineered nanoparticles
in aquatic systems. To achieve these
goals he combines techniques of particle
separation, light scattering, and spectrometric
analysis. He was born in Germany
and obtained his PhD at the Hamburg
University of Technology. In 2005 he moved
to the Department of Environmental
Geosciences at the University of Vienna,
where he is currently an assistant professor
leading the Nanogeosciences Lab.
Bradley M. Tebo is a
professor in the Division
of Environmental and
Biomolecular Systems,
Oregon Health & Science
University. He received
his BA in biology from
UCSD and his PhD in
marine biology from Scripps Institution of
Oceanography (UCSD). After his postdoctoral
work in the School of Oceanography at the
University of Washington and a brief period
as a research scientist at the Chesapeake Bay
Institute, Johns Hopkins University, he became
a research scientist and subsequently Professorin-Residence
at Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, where he worked for 18 years
before moving to his present position in 2005.
His research focuses on the geomicrobiology
of metal transformations, and he has spent
most of his career studying the microbiology
and biogeochemistry of bacterial Mn(II)
oxidation.

Benny K. G. Theng is a
research associate at
Landcare Research, New
Zealand. He received his
PhD degree from the
University of Adelaide,
Australia. He has worked
as a postdoctoral fellow,
research scientist, and
visiting professor in Australia, Belgium,
France, Germany, and Japan. His research
has dealt mostly with the behavior of
organic molecules and polymers at clay mineral
surfaces. His current interest is in developing
soil nanoparticles for environmental
applications. He is a fellow of the Royal
Society of New Zealand and the New Zealand
Society of Soil Science, and he received the
Bailey Distinguished Member award from
the Clay Minerals Society.
Glenn A. Waychunas is
a senior staff scientist,
and nanogeoscience group
leader, in the Earth
Sciences Division at
Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory,
where he has been since
1997. Prior to this he
was at the Center for Materials Research at
Stanford University with both scientist and
acting-faculty appointments. He received his
PhD from UCLA in 1979. His interests
include mineralogical spectroscopy and
X-ray scattering methods applied to solid–
aqueous interfaces, and the structure of
nanophases. A long-time synchrotron-source
user, he now serves on the scientifi c advisory
committees of both the APS and SSRL DOEsupported
synchrotrons and is chair of the
latter.
Guodong Yuan received
his PhD in 1994 from
the University of British
Columbia, Canada. He
then worked at the
National Institute for
Environmental Studies
in Japan before joining,
in 1997, Landcare
Research, New Zealand, where he has been
working on clay–organic interactions. His
current work focuses on using clay-based
environmental nanomaterials to remove
phosphorus and arsenic from water and
effl uent, slow the release of agricultural
chemicals, and reduce the emissions of
greenhouse gases from the dairy sector.
Hengzhong Zhang
received his PhD in 1991
from Central South
University of
Technology (China),
where he then worked as
a faculty member until
1995. He joined the
University of Wisconsin–
Madison as a postdoctoral research scientist in
2002. Since 2002, he has been at the
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ELEMENTS 371
DECEMBER 2008
University of California, Berkeley, as a
research and then a senior research scientist.
His research interests center on the physical
chemistry and properties of materials, particularly
nanomaterials. His current research
activities include the synthesis, computer
simulation, and structure characterization
of oxide and chalcogenide nanoparticles, as
well as the study of the effects of size and
environment on nanostructures.
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ELEMENTS 372
DECEMBER 2008