Jan-Olov Liljenzin was professor in Nuclear Chemistry at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, between 1989 and 2001, where he was also Dean of the School of Chemical Engineering from 1990 to 1995. Between 1986 and 1989 he was professor in Chemistry at the University of Oslo and Head of the National Committee on Nuclear Science in Norway. Prior to this, his extensive experience saw him hold positions at institutes around the world, including Euratom CCR, Ispra, Italy, and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, California, USA. He is an elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, the Royal Society of Arts and Languages, Göteborg and a permanent member of the Swedish Chemical Society. His research has, among other things, involved the influence of chemistry on core melt accidents, leading on to international research about iodine chemistry, how to mitigate radioactive releases from nuclear accidents, various methods of treatment and separation of spent radioactive fuel, and chemical aspects of final repositories for radioactive waste. After his return to Sweden he was chairman of the research committee at the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate until his retirement. He has 255 published papers and reports in his name or as a coauthor, and is coauthor of several textbooks and monographies. Christian Ekberg is a full professor in Industrial Materials Recycling (since 2007) as well as a full professor in Nuclear Chemistry (since 2012) at Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden. He is also an elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy for Engineering Sciences. The main research focus on the last 25 years has been solution chemistry of the lightest to the heaviest elements in the periodic table (thermodynamics, solvent extraction etc) as well as statistical uncertainty analysis. In later years the focus has started to include recycling processes from various sources as well as the new Gen IV nuclear reactor systems. He has published more than 120 reviewed scientific papers.
Reviews of the second edition: The book fully meets the authors objectives, it is well written in a logical, objective, thought-provoking and quite easily readable style. It should appeal to the serious student of radio- and nuclear chemistry at either undergraduate or postgraduate level, as well as to readers with a more general interest in nuclear science and its impact on the environment. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, July 1995 This book is an excellent, readable account of a significant part of the scientific achievements of more than half this century. The authors have dedicated the book to Nobel Laureate Glenn T. Seaborg and its scholarship makes it a fitting tribute. Radiological Protection Bulletin, December 1995