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What is Medical Geology? G ater leaching trace elements as it percolates through rocks and soils eology may appear remote from human health. However, rocks are the fundamental building blocks of the Earth's surface, containing many important minerals and elements. Most elements are taken into the human body in air, food and water. Rocks are broken down by the weathering processes to form the soils on which crops and animals are raised, w , and much of the dust and some of the gases contained in the atmosphere are of geological origin. Medical Geology is concerned with the relationship between natural geological factors and human and animal health, as well as with improving our understanding of the influence of environmental factors on the geographical distribution of health problems. Medical Geology brings together geoscientists and medical/public health researchers to address health problems caused, or exacerbated by geologic materials (rocks, minerals and water) and geologic processes including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and atmospheric dust. IMGA In January 2006 the International Medical Geology Association, IMGA, was formed. The association has now about 400 members from 60 countries, several local and regional chapters and divisions, and a regular international conference every two years. IMGA has managed to link geoscience and medical science and we are often invited to international medical conferences for medical geology sessions and keynote speeches. A couple of books have been published and a large number of scientific papers in geological and medical journals have been published. A regular bi annual newsletter on CD is produced, as well as regular email newsletters to all members. IMGA was also responsible for the health activities within International Year of Planet Earth, proclaimed by the United Nations. Objectives !Practitioners of medical geology have four principal responsibilities. !To identify the environmental causes of known health problems and in collaboration with biomedical/public health researchers, seek solutions to prevent or minimize these problems. !To identify geochemical anomalies in soils, sediments, and water that may impact on health. !To reassure the public when there are unwarranted environmental health concerns deriving from geologic materials or processes. !To evaluate the beneficial health affects of geologic materials and processes. Output: Website (http://www.medicalgeology.org) ! Biennial newsletter, Information flyers ! Short courses on Metals, Health and the Environment ! Refereed journal articles ! Academic Press book published in 2005. 820 pages in full colour. 60 international authors. Several international awards. ! New book published by Springer in 2010 on medical geology all over the world ! Regular international conferences ! Keynote speeches and special sessions at various international medical and geological conferences Concentration of element Deficient Toxic NORMAL HEALTH Health Response MEDICAL GEOLOGY For more information: Element Deficiency Toxicity Iron Anaemia Anaemia “Sway back” Dwarf growth Retarded development of gonads Akrodermatitis enteropathica Anaemia “White liver disease” Dysfunction of the gonads Convulsions Malformations of the skeleton Urolithiasis Disturbances in the glucose metabolism Liver necrosis Haenichromatosis Chronic copper poisoning Wilson, Bedlington disease Metallic fever Diarrhoea Heart failure Polycythaemia Ataxia Kidney damage (Nephritis) “Alkali disease” Muscular dystrophy “Blind staggers” Copper Zinc Cobalt Magnesium Chromium Selenium FUTURE: Short courses in medical geology all around the world will continue. !Medical geology, or Earth and Health, was a priorityarea in Planet Earth, the UN/IUGS/UNESCO initiative !Medical Geology is included in curricula at universities !Many national chapters established !Close collaboration established between geoscientists, medics, epidemiologists, toxicologists, pathologists etc etc Direct links between geology and health are provided by the food chain and by inhalation of atmospheric dusts and gases. Diseases associated with deficiency and toxicity of an element. Olle Selinus Co chair geoscience Geological Survey of Sweden, Sweden [email protected] Nelly Manay co chair medical science Dpt of Toxicology and Environmental Hygiene, Uruguay [email protected] Http://www.medicalgeology.org Dose response curve Goiter due to iodine deficiency Selenium deficiency - Kashin-Beck Disease Jose A. Centeno Chairman US Armed Forces Institute of Pathology [email protected] Check us out at: Photos courtesy of Jose Centeno. High levels of arsenic in drinking water cause serious health problems for many millions of people in Asia. Improving the situation requires close study of the source rocks from which the arsenic is being leached into the groundwater, as well as the conditions under which the arsenic is being mobilized. Answers to these and related questions are vital if public health authorities are to identify aquifers with similar character/ istics so that populations at risk from arsenic exposure can be more accurately determined. (Phototograph by courtesy of the Natural Environment Research Council, U.K.) SHORT COURSES IN MEDICAL GEOLOGY: Scientists in both developed and developing countries are brought together to address this global issue. One effective way of doing this is by running international short training courses.Workshops are highly effective in ensuring that the most recent information on the relationship between metals, trace elements, and their impact on environmental and public health is widely disseminated 'Geopharmacy', Geophagia: soil-based medicines for internal consumption on sale in Kampala, Uganda (Photograph: Peter W. Abrahams). Exposure to Arsenic from Domestic Coal-Combustion (Guizhou Province, P.R. China) Taiwan Health Effects from exposure to excess fluorine Dental Fluorosis Skeletal Fluorosis Guizhou Province, China (Photographs: Courtesy of Prof. Dr. Baoshan Zheng) Dave Elliott, Editor Geosgil Consulting Ltd, Calgary, Canada [email protected] Http://www.medicalgeology.org Diseases associated with toxicity due to the excess of an element

Exposure to Arsenic from Domestic Coal-Combustion Biennial newsletter, Information flyers! ... Dwarf growth Retarded development of gonads Akrodermatitis enteropathica Anaemia “White

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What is Medical Geology?G

ater leaching trace elements as it percolates through rocks and soils

eology may appear remote from human health. However, rocks are the fundamental building blocks of the Earth's surface, containing many important minerals and elements. Most elements are taken into the human body in air, food and water. Rocks are broken down by the weathering processes to form the soils on which crops and animals are raised, w

, and much of the dust and some of the gases contained in the atmosphere are of geological origin.

Medical Geology is concerned with the relationship between natural geological factors and human and animal health, as well as with improving our understanding of the influence of environmental factors on the geographical distribution of health problems. Medical Geology brings together geoscientists and medical/public health researchers to address health problems caused, or exacerbated by geologic materials (rocks, minerals and water) and geologic processes including volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and atmospheric dust.

IMGA

In January 2006 the International Medical Geology Association, IMGA, was formed. The association has now about 400 members from 60 countries, several local and regional chapters and divisions, and a regular international conference every two years. IMGA has managed to link geoscience and medical science and we are often invited to international medical conferences for medical geology sessions and keynote speeches. A couple of books have been published and a large number of scientific papers in geological and medical journals have been published. A regular bi annual newsletter on CD is produced, as well as regular email newsletters to all members. IMGA was also responsible for the health activities within International Year of Planet Earth, proclaimed by the United Nations.

Objectives!Practitioners of medical geology have four principal responsibilities.

!To identify the environmental causes of known health problems and in collaboration with biomedical/public health researchers, seek solutions to prevent or minimize these problems.

!To identify geochemical anomalies in soils, sediments, and water that may impact on health.

!To reassure the public when there are unwarranted environmental health concerns deriving from geologic materials or processes.

!To evaluate the beneficial health affects of geologic materials and processes.

Output:Website (http://www.medicalgeology.org)! Biennial newsletter, Information flyers! Short courses on Metals, Health and the Environment ! Refereed journal articles! Academic Press book published in 2005. 820 pages in

full colour. 60 international authors. Several international awards.

! New book published by Springer in 2010 on medical geology all over the world

! Regular international conferences! Keynote speeches and special sessions at various

international medical and geological conferences

Concentration of element

De

fic

ien

t

To

xic

NORMAL HEALTH

He

alt

h

Re

sp

on

se

MEDICAL GEOLOGY

For more information:

Element Deficiency Toxicity

Iron Anaemia

Anaemia“Sway back”

Dwarf growthRetarded development of gonadsAkrodermatitis enteropathica

Anaemia“White liver disease”

Dysfunction of the gonadsConvulsionsMalformations of the skeletonUrolithiasis

Disturbances in the glucose metabolism

Liver necrosis

Haenichromatosis

Chronic copper poisoningWilson, Bedlington disease

Metallic feverDiarrhoea

Heart failurePolycythaemia

Ataxia

Kidney damage (Nephritis)

“Alkali disease”Muscular dystrophy “Blind staggers”

Copper

Zinc

Cobalt

Magnesium

Chromium

Selenium

FUTURE:Short courses in medical geology all around the world will continue.!Medical geology, or Earth and Health, was a priorityarea in Planet Earth, the UN/IUGS/UNESCO initiative!Medical Geology is included in curricula at universities!Many national chapters established!Close collaboration established between geoscientists, medics, epidemiologists, toxicologists, pathologists etc etc

Direct links between geology and health are provided by the food chain and by inhalation of atmospheric dusts and gases.

Diseases associated with deficiency and toxicity of an element.

Olle Selinus Co chair geoscienceGeological Survey of Sweden, Sweden

[email protected]

Nelly Manay co chair medical scienceDpt of Toxicology and Environmental Hygiene, Uruguay

[email protected]

Http://www.medicalgeology.org

Dose response curve

Goiter due to iodine deficiency

Selenium deficiency - Kashin-Beck Disease

Jose A. Centeno ChairmanUS Armed Forces Institute of Pathology

[email protected]

Check us out at:

Photos courtesy of Jose Centeno.

High levels of arsenic in drinkingwater cause serious health problemsfor many millions of people in Asia.Improving the situation requires closestudy of the source rocks from whichthe arsenic is being leached into thegroundwater, as well as the conditionsunder which the arsenic is being mobilized.Answers to these and related questionsare vital if public health authorities areto identify aquifers with similar character/istics so that populations at risk from arsenicexposure can be more accurately determined.(Phototograph by courtesy of the Natural EnvironmentResearch Council, U.K.)

SHORT COURSES IN MEDICAL GEOLOGY:Scientists in both developed and developing countries are brought together toaddress this global issue. One effective way of doing this is by running internationalshort training courses.Workshops are highly effective in ensuring that the most recentinformation on the relationship between metals, trace elements, and their impacton environmental and public health is widely disseminated

'Geopharmacy', Geophagia: soil-based medicines for internal consumption on sale in Kampala, Uganda (Photograph: Peter W. Abrahams).

Exposure to Arsenic fromDomestic Coal-Combustion(Guizhou Province, P.R. China)

Taiwan

Health Effectsfrom exposure to excessfluorine

Dental Fluorosis

SkeletalFluorosis

Guizhou Province, China

(Photographs: Courtesy of Prof. Dr. Baoshan Zheng)

Dave Elliott, EditorGeosgil Consulting Ltd, Calgary, Canada

[email protected]

Http://www.medicalgeology.org

Diseases associated with toxicity due to the excess of an element