Essential elements for human health

Ultimate element source is the Earth

Dante Scarpelli and John Craighead, 1985

Nature, it seems, has a limited repertoire of strategies and appears to be governed by the same principles at every level of organization.

Paracelsus, 1538

All substances are poison; it is the dose that differentiates a poison from the remedy

Geology and Human HealthOverarching Themes: What?

Plumlee and Zeigler, 2003

SOURCES TRANSFORMATION +

TRANSPORTAir

WaterSedimentsBiosphere

EXPOSURE +

HEALTHEFFECTS

Geogenic sources: mineralogy and geologic setting

Asbestos hand specimen and fiber in lung tissue

Wells with high concentrations of uranium in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Anthropogenic sources

Agricultural activities

Industrial discharges to land, water and air

Accumulation and transformation in soils and sediment

Transport in air and water

Air transport: advection and dispersion

Water transport

Ground WaterFlow Direction Plume Migration

Dense Nonaqueous Phase Liquid DNAPL

Sediment transport in streams Sediment deposition

Exposure: In the end, we are what we eat (and drink and breathe)

Exposure and Risk

Increasing dosage

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Increasing dosage

Inc

rea

sin

g b

en

efi

tIn

cre

as

ing

ha

rm

Geology and Human HealthOverarching Themes: Who and Where?

• Undergrads, general education courses• Undergrad majors, introductory courses• Undergrad majors, upper level courses• Advanced students, interdisciplinary courses• Adult learners, outreach/extension programs• Others???

Geology and Human HealthOverarching Themes: How?

• Lectures• Labs• Case studies• Novel interactive exercises• Web based courses and exercises• Other???