Zeolites form a family of minerals which have been known since the 18th century, but they remained a curiosity for scientists and collectors until 60 years ago, when their unique physicochemical properties attracted the attention of many researchers. In the past 30 years there has been an ex traordinary development in zeolite science; six International Conferences on Zeolites have been held every 3 years since 1967, and a large number of interesting contributions have been published in their proceedings. Many books, written either by individual authors or by several authors under a leading editor, have been published on these interesting silicate phases, but none has been devoted specifically to natural zeolites, even though this theme may be of interest not only to earth scientists, but also to chemists, as the in formation obtained from natural samples completes and in tegrates the characterization of many zeolites. We are trying to fill this gap on the basis of 20 years of research on natural zeolites, which we performed at the University of Modena together with many friends and colleagues. If it is in general difficult to write a scientific book with out upsetting somebody, this is particularly true for a book on natural crystals, because mineralogy is an interdisciplin ary science which covers some fields of physics, chemistry, it is almost impossible to meet every petrology, geology, and requirement.

"Handbook of Natural Zeolites provides a comprehensive and updated summary of all important aspects of natural zeolites science and technology. The e-book contains four sections covering the relevant scientific background, established technologies, recent "

The publication of the books "Naturmineralien, Regulation und Gesundheit" and "Klinoptilolith-Zeolith – Siliziummineralien und Gesundheit" has led to a growing interest in the silicates natural zeolite, bentonite/montmorillonite and silicon dioxide (synonym: silicic acid) on the part of therapists and especially on the part of the consumers owing to the healthy and quality-of-life improving effect of the silicates. According to various studies, the trend to orientate towards natural remedies leads to a growing demand of more and more people. However, the reorientation towards other remedies involves several questions. This also applies to natural zeolite, bentonite, montmorillonite and silicon dioxide (silicic acid), partly because of wrong ideas about the silicates that are often spread without any criticism and that cause insecurity among the people. Silicates belong to the oldest remedies of mankind e.g. in form of clay and medical clay. In fact, 2,400 years of experience have been gained already. As the mechanisms of action and effects of such natural remedies are fundamentally different from those of traditional medical drugs, which are usually applied by conventional medicine, the need for knowledge is exceptionally great here. The number of requests that we have received almost daily over ten years proves that. This enormous interest has inspired us to answer the questions in written form and publish them as a book in order to satisfy the "thirst for knowledge" with regard to natural zeolite, bentonite/montmorillonite and silicon dioxide (silicic acid). All the answers to questions from everyday life are, for the most part, put in easy terms for reasons of a better understanding. At the same time, however, they reflect the current scientific state of knowledge.

Volume 45 of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry is a new and expanded update of Volume 4 from 1977. Most of the material in this volume is entirely new, and Natural Zeolites: Occurrence, Properties, Applications presents a fresh and expanded look at many of the subjects contained in Volume 4. There has been an explosion in our knowledge of the crystal chemistry and structures of natural zeolites (Chapters 1 and 2), due in part to the now-common Rietveld method that allows treatment of powder diffraction data. Studies on the geochemistry of natural zeolites have also greatly increased, partly as a result of the interests related to the disposal of radioactive wastes, and Chapters 3, 4, 5, 13, and 14 detail the latest results in this important area. Until the latter part of the 20th century, zeolites were often looked upon as a geological curiosity, but they are now known to be widespread throughout the world in sedimentary and igneous deposits and in soils (Chapters 6-12). The application of natural zeolites has greatly expanded since the first zeolite volume. Chapter 15 details the use of natural zeolites for removal of ammonium ions, heavy metals, radioactive cations, and organic molecules from natural waters, wastewaters, and soils. Similarly, Chapter 16 describes the use of natural zeolites as building blocks and cements in the building industry, Chapter 17 outlines their use in solar energy storage, heating, and cooling applications, and Chapter 18 describes their use in a variety of agricultural applications, including as soil conditioners, slow-release fertilizers, soil-less substrates, carriers for insecticides and pesticides, and remediation agents in contaminated soils.

Each year, people all around the world are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals and pollutants in air, water, food and soil. Too many people carry within their bodies a chilling "chemical cocktail" made up of food additives, industrial chemicals, heavy metals and the residues of pharmaceuticals and illegal drugs. To assure we maintain a state of good health, these toxins must be dealt with.This book shows you how Zeolite, an age-old substance derived from nature, can benefit the following:Stops acute and chronic diarrheaBinds with and removes free redicals in the bodyRaises the body's antioxidant levelsHelps alkalize to achieve proper pHBinds mycotoxins, forming stable complexesAid in heavy metal and chemical detoxificationBinds radioactive compoundsStabilizes and regulates hormone systemReduces side effects of chemotherapy/radiationReduces hangovers