Presentation Outline

1. 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

2. “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

3. 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]

4. 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

5. Scope of Medical Geology (Illustration: Courtesy, Robert Finkleman, USGS, 2003)

6. Causes of Disease • Genetic • Behavioral • Environmental Ultimately represents an imbalance between chemical elements and the body

7. Valley Fever

8. 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.

9. 50 50 40 40 30 30 Northridge Northridge Valley Fever Cases Valley Fever Cases Earthquake Earthquake 20 20 10 10 0 0 2 Incidence of Valley Fever 6 10 14 18 22 26 30 4 6 12 16 20 24 28 4 6 January, 1994 February March (Illustration: Courtesy, Robert Finkleman, USGS, 2003)

10. Mt. Pinatubo June 15, 1991 Eruption

11. 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]

12. 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 http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/Gases/laki.html Accessed 4/10/06

13. Laki Fissure Eruption 1783-1784 http://www.edjackson.ca/19thcenturyiceland/eruption/eruption1783.htmAccessed 4/10/06

14. 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

15. Water

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

17. Trace Elements and Health • Three Well Studied Trace Elements • Fluorine • Iodine • 3. Selenium

18. Iodine Sources: alcohol, iodized table salt, seafood, kelp & other seaweed (raw or processed in items like ice cream) Benefits: helps metabolize fats, produce energy, and keep thyroid glands healthy 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)

20. Global Iodine Nutrition Source: Accessed April 7, 2006 http://indorgs.virginia.edu/iccidd/mi/regions/world_map.htm,

21. Fluorine 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: required to maintain strong bones and teeth Hazards: excessive amounts can result in mottled teeth, too little can cause osteoporosis

24. Selenium • Sources: meats, seafood, brewers yeast, broccoli, grains, chicken, garlic, onions • Benefits: strong antioxidant, produces antibodies, maintain tissue elasticity, the pancreas, and the heart • 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

25. 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

26. Recent Developments (1) • 1996 – IUGS approved creation of an International Working Group on Medical Geology (IWGMG) • 2000 – UNESCO approved the new project: IGCP # 54 Medical Geology in recognition of the importance of geological factors in human health

27. Recent Developments (2) • March 2002 – IUGS gave “Special Project Status” to IWGMG • Olle Selius, GSS, Director • Bob Finkleman, USGS, Co-Director • Jose Centeno, USAFIP, Co-Director • Aug. 2004 – 32nd IGC, Italy • 150 participants from 71 countries approved creation of the International Medical Geology Association (IMGA) • IMGA formerly launched, January 24, 2006 • Education Committee

28. Specialty Conferences and Workshops (1) • Several international meetings by the GSS and the USGS • A number of workshops conducted by the IWGMW • 2001: Zambia • 2002: Chile; Russia; Peru; Japan; China • 2003: Lithuania; Uruguay; U.K; Brazil; Australia & Malaysia • 2004: Hungary, S. Africa, Canada, India • 2005: Tanzania, Rumania, Argentina…

29. Specialty Conferences and Workshops (2) • 31st IGC, Brazil, Aug. 2000: special session on Geology and Health • Healthy Ecosystems-Healthy People, June, 2002, Washington, DC; Int’l Soc. for Ecosystem Health • Natural Science and Health, Prescription for a Better Environment, April 2003, USGS • Geology and Health, May 2004, NSF, NAGT… • GSA • Northcentral Section, Kansas City, 2003 • Pardee Symposium, Denver, 2004 • NAS: Research need and support in medical geology

30. Books

31. College Courses • 1978: Wichita State University, medical geology (1-credit), Prof. Douglas Schultz • 1979: 3-credit course in medical geology at CUNY by Dr. Lynn Savage • 1982: Dr. Savage developed a new (3-credit) graduate level course in geomedicine. • 1999: University of Akron, Ohio; 1-credit course by Dr. Lynn Chyi

32. What’s in a Name? Medical Geology? Geomedicine? Ecomedicine? • IWGMG adopted Medical Geology in 1997 • ISEH followed suite (2002) • GSA chose “Geology and Health”

33. Building Bridges • Geosciences community • Health Science • On-going communication • Research collaboration • Closer interaction

34. Conclusion • Sufficient body of knowledge • Symposia and technical sessions at major conferences - national and international • Short courses • Textbooks • IMGA • NSF, NAGT initiative for new college courses • Proposed journal of medical geology

35. Questions?