hasan talk

Presentation Outline
 Historical perspectives
 Definition and scope
 Geologic processes and health
 Geologic materials and health
 Case studies
 Current status of medical geology
 Future prospects and challenges


“If you want to learn about the
health of a population, look at
the air they breathe, the water
they drink, and the places where
they live.”
― Hippocrates, 5th Century BC


Medical Geology
Deals with the geologic factors that have a bearing on
human, animal and plant health
“Is the scientific discipline that examines the impacts
that geologic materials and processes have on
human and ecosystem health.” (Bunnell, 2004)
Medical geology deals with the cause of the disease
not its cure
________________________________________
[Bunnell, J.E; 2204, Medical Geolgoy:Emerging Discipline on the Ecosystem-Human
Health Interface. EcoHealth, V. 1, p. 15-18]

Medical Geology
Impetus from geochemical research after WW II
Geochemical data triggered interest of
geologists and health care professionals to
study possible relation between geochemical
nature of an area and incidence of disease
Earlier, during the 1930s and subsequent
period, animal and plant scientists made much
progress in studying health impact caused by
excess or deficiency of trace elements in
animals and plants


Scope of Medical Geology

(Illustration: Courtesy, Robert Finkleman, USGS, 2003)


Causes of Disease
•
•
•

Genetic
Behavioral
Environmental
Ultimately represents an imbalance between
chemical elements and the body

Valley Fever


Valley Fever-Clinical Presentation

7,500 new cases of Valley Fever
occur annually in the U.S.A, with a
cost in excess of $65 million a year.


Incidence of Valley Fever

Valley Fever Cases

50
40
30

Northridge
Earthquake

20
10
0

2

6 10 14 18 22 26 30
January, 1994

4

6 12 16 20 24 28 4 6
February
March

(Illustration: Courtesy, Robert Finkleman, USGS, 2003)


Mt. Pinatubo
June 15, 1991
Eruption


Mt. Pinatubo Eruption of June 1991
 20 million Mt of SO2









~ 800,000 Mt of Zn
600,000 Mt of Cu
550,000 Mt of Cr
100,000 Mt of Pb
30,000 Mt of Ni

10,000 Mt of As
1,000 Mt of Cd
800 Mt of Hg
[Selinus et al. (ed.) Medical Geology, 2005, Elsevier]


Laki Eruption June 1783-Feb.1784
Acid volatiles:
SO2

120 Mt

HCl

7

HF

15

Basaltic Lava: 14.73 km3
over 565 sq km area

/>wdocs/Gases/laki.html
Accessed 4/10/06


Laki Fissure Eruption 1783-1784

/>Accessed 4/10/06

Air

A woman in India using a
portable clay oven fueled
by cow dung
A family in the Guizhou Province in China
gathering by a fire in the night


Water


Source: Selinus, Olle, et al (ed.), 2004, Essentials of Medical Geology,
Elsevier Academic Press, London, U.K; p. xi.


Trace Elements and Health

Three Well Studied Trace Elements
1. Fluorine
2. Iodine
3. Selenium


Iodine
Sources:
Sources alcohol, iodized table salt, seafood,
kelp & other seaweed (raw or processed in

items like ice cream)
Benefits:
Benefits helps metabolize fats, produce energy,
and keep thyroid glands healthy
Hazards:
Hazards too little can result in hypothyroidism,
causing weight gain, lack of energy, reduced
mental focus, and in some cases goiter. Globally
2.11 million people suffer from goiter (WHO,
1990)



Global Iodine Nutrition
Source: Accessed April 7, 2006
/>

Fluorine
Sources:
Sources drinking water, seafood, teas.
Regularly added to drinking water and
toothpaste for its proven ability to reduce the
formation of dental cavities by up to 70%
Benefits:
Benefits required to maintain strong bones and
teeth
Hazards:
Hazards excessive amounts can result in
mottled teeth, too little can cause osteoporosis

Selenium
 Sources:
Sources meats, seafood, brewers yeast,

broccoli, grains, chicken, garlic, onions
 Benefits:
Benefits strong antioxidant, produces
antibodies, maintain tissue elasticity, the
pancreas, and the heart
 Hazards:
Hazards deficiency linked to leukemia,
rheumatoid arthritis, cardiomyopathy, and
fibrocystic breast disease; overdose may
cause loss of teeth and hair, painful swelling
of fingers, fatigue, and nausea. Locosis in
animals


Medical Geology Articles
International Association of Geochemistry and
Cosmochemistry
International Association for Volcanology and
Chemistry
International Association of Hydrological Sciences
International Society for Environmental Toxicity and
Chemistry
Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health:

Environmental Geochemistry and Health