Standard Atomic Weight of Lead Revised

Following the recent publication of the IUPAC Technical Report on the variation of lead isotopic composition and atomic weight in terrestrial materials [1], the IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW) is recommending changes to the standard atomic weight (i.e. relative atomic mass) of lead:

Ten Chemical Innovations That Will Change Our World: IUPAC identifies emerging technologies in Chemistry with potential to make our planet more sustainable

2019 is a very special year in chemistry. 2019 marks two major anniversaries: the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), and the 150th anniversary of Dimitri Mendeleev’s first publication on the Periodic Table of Elements [1]. IUPAC is the global organization that, among many other things, established a common language for chemistry—enabling scientific research, education, and trade. In a similar manner, Mendeleev’s system classified all the elements that were known at the time, and even predicted the existence of elements that would only come to be discovered years later. These two anniversaries are closely entwined, as IUPAC has played a major role developing of the modern Periodic Table by ensuring that the most authoritative version of the table is accessible to everyone [2], establishing names and symbols for the newly discovered elements, and also constantly reviewing its accuracy through the IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights.

Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights: History of IUPAC Commission II.1 in the ­Service of Chemistry

Atomic weights are of fundamental importance in science, technology, trade and commerce. In particular, atomic weights relate mass to molar quantities. It is therefore not surprising that the measurement of atomic weights has played a central role in the development of chemistry and continues to be a key component in the progress of discipline.

Juris Meija Made the Top 40 Under 40

On 16 Oct 2018, The Analytical Scientist released their Top 40 Under 40 Power List celebrating the gifted young scientists making waves in analytical science. Among them is Juris Meija, the current Chair of the IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW).

Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights: IUPAC Commission II.1 Today

It is hard to imagine IUPAC without the Periodic Table, and in turn, without atomic weights. As IUPAC celebrates its centennial, its oldest body, the Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW) turns 120. The parent Commission was formed in March 1899 and its inaugural task was to decide the atomic weight standard: should it be based on hydrogen or oxygen? Although the issue was settled in favor of oxygen, when the CIAAW formally joined the IUPAC in 1919, the question of the atomic weight scale was back for debate suggesting that many issues before this Commission transcend their scientific merit. In fact, many view the Periodic Table and changes therein as a part of larger cultural fabric of science so any changes are likely to be debated for a long time.

Standard Atomic Weights of 14 Chemical Elements Revised

The IUPAC Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights (CIAAW) met under the chairmanship of Dr. Juris Meija, at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, in September 2017. Following its meeting, the Commission recommended changes to the standard atomic weights of 14 chemical elements.