77:" (1493–1541), stated that "all substances are poisons, there is none which is not a poison. The right dosage differentiates a poison and a remedy." This passage sums up the idea of medical geology. The goal of this field is to find the right balance and intake of elements/minerals in order to improve and maintain health.
599:
processes and agents, the dispersal of geological material and their effects on human population." IMGA was founded in 2006 and manages affairs and funds, plans conferences, elections and publications, and they are also a way of encouraging growth and recognition in the field. Although it was founded
45:
In its broadest sense, medical geology studies exposure to or deficiency of trace elements and minerals; inhalation of ambient and anthropogenic mineral dusts and volcanic emissions; transportation, modification and concentration of organic compounds; and exposure to radionuclides, microbes and
142:
Recently, a new concept of "geomedical engineering" has been introduced in medical geology through a paper titled "Geomedical
Engineering: A new and captivating prospect". It provides the fundamentals of engineering applications to the medical geology issues.
64:
first recognized the relationship between human diseases and the earth's elements. This field ultimately depends on a number of different fields coming and working together to solve some of the earth's mysteries. The scientific term for this field is
40:. The Commission on Geological Sciences for Environmental Planning defines medical geology as "the science dealing with the influence of ordinary environmental factors on the geographical distribution of health problems in man and animals."
219:
and minerals in the land affect people and animals immensely, especially when there is a close relationship between the two. Those who depend heavily on the land are faced with one of two problems. First, those who live in places such as
564:. In addition to deficiencies of particular minerals, dietary excesses of certain elements occurring in specific geographic regions can also be harmful to human health, as per the examples listed below:
436:
playing a role. Some research has completely discredited this evidence, and has found that the more magnesium in the water the less chance of death cardiovascular disease.
328:
Rocks are also one of the leading sources in exposure to these elements. "They are essentially the source of all the naturally occurring chemical elements found on the
909:
601:
1063:
179:
field to help us understand this relationship. There are two priorities that have been established within the medical geology field, "(1) the study of
604:(IUGS) in 1996. The goal of the working group was to advertise and make people aware of the harmful effects the environment has on our health.
1047:
621:
583:"The International Medical Geology Association (IMGA) aims to provide a network and a forum to bring together the combined expertise of
69:; however, it is more commonly known as medical geology. It was established in 1990 by the International Union of Geological Sciences.
1033:
928:
107:
1100:
409:; this is known as geophagy. It is most common in the tropics, especially among pregnant women. The Ottomac people of
851:"On the road to personalised and precision geomedicine: medical geology and a renewed call for interdisciplinarity"
626:
600:
in 2006, it was a work in progress for ten years when a working group of medical geology was established by the
757:
Bunnell, Joseph (March 2004). "Medical
Geology: Emerging Discipline on the Ecosystem--Human Health Interface".
994:
278:
come into contact with the earth's elements and below are only a few ways in which we become exposed to them.
358:
733:
Finkelman, Robert B.; Skinner, H. Catherine W.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.; Bunnell, Joseph E. (November 2001).
425:
266:
because all humans ingest and breath in these chemicals and for the most part it is done unknowingly.
357:. Thirty percent of the world is at risk for it and insufficient intake is the most common cause of
1095:
794:"Geostatistics: a common link between medical geography, mathematical geology, and medical geology"
25:
698:
Dissanayake, Chandrasekara (5 August 2005). "Of Stones and Health: Medical
Geology in Sri Lanka".
1006:
831:
774:
485:
136:
1029:
998:
920:
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872:
823:
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has often been linked to water hardness as the main cause. Water hardness means that there is
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deficiencies and in some cases are even healthier and live longer than those not in HBRAs.
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85:
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are exposed to heavily impoverished soils which result in a number of diseases caused by
885:
850:
818:
793:
180:
156:
120:
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Many have deemed medical geology as a new field, when in actuality it is re-emerging.
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588:
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37:
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and those who are further from it are at a disadvantage. Another source of it is in
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225:
188:
132:
99:
74:
33:
1026:
Essentials of
Medical Geology: Impacts of the Natural Environment on Public Health
981:
Selinus, Olle (February 2007). "Medical
Geology: An Opportunity for the Future".
347:
192:
57:
476:. Certain places are called 'high background radiation areas' (HBRAs), such as
867:
770:
596:
584:
378:
237:
221:
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It is widely known that the state of our environment affects us in many ways.
70:
924:
876:
809:
1066:
Medical
Geology: Emerging Discipline on the Ecosystem-Human Health Interface
711:
541:
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492:, and Kerala Coast. People living in these areas however have not shown any
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595:, and medical specialists, in order to characterize the properties of
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are often exposed to an excess of elements in the land, resulting in
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areas. As medical geology grows it may become more important to the
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is composed of. Medical geology brings professionals from both the
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Journal of the
Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
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Kamel Boulos, Maged N.; Le Blond, Jennifer (28 January 2016).
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and (2) a need to establish baseline, or background levels of
84:
Studies on the impact of contaminant mobility as a result of
28:
scientific field studying the relationship between natural
195:/potentially harmful but naturally occurring materials in
995:
10.1579/0044-7447(2007)36[114:mgaoft]2.0.co;2
910:"Geomedical Engineering: A new and captivating prospect"
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Among the problems presented there are also issues with
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engage in this practice and none have suffered from any
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254:; however, excessive amounts can be detrimental to
250:All living organisms need some naturally occurring
417:problems related with mineral/ Iodine deficiency.
80:Examples of research in medical geology include:
587:and earth scientists, environmental scientists,
393:, making it hard for people to access it. Some
285:are one of the main sources that bring all the
1028:. Amsterdam, Boston: Elsevier Academic Press.
574:Hyperphosphatemia: excess amount of phosphorus
232:imbalances. Secondly, those in areas such as
8:
855:International Journal of Health Geographics
602:International Union of Geological Sciences
1081:International Medical Geology Association
983:Ambio: A Journal of the Human Environment
884:
866:
817:
579:International Medical Geology Association
976:
974:
972:
970:
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568:Hyperkalemia: excess amount of potassium
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571:Hypercalcemia: excess amount of calcium
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131:resulting from airborne dust, such as
167:populations because that is what the
7:
67:hydrobiogeochemoepidemiopathoecology
16:Field crossing geology and medicine
560:field in relation to the issue of
448:is found everywhere; it is in the
14:
1070:PDF file accessed 28 January 2007
258:. There is a direct link between
908:Ur Rehman, Atteeq (June 2009).
293:to the outside. They bring out
1:
792:Goovaerts, P. (August 2014).
397:actually consume the earth's
274:There are many ways in which
32:factors and their effects on
270:Sources of chemical exposure
147:Environment and human health
1117:
1064:Bunnell, Joseph E. (2004)
917:Medical Geology Newsletter
868:10.1186/s12942-016-0033-0
771:10.1007/s10393-004-0068-8
627:British Geological Survey
1060:accessed 28 January 2006
468:. The largest amount of
102:exposure resulting from
712:10.1126/science.1115174
359:intellectual disability
1024:Alloway, B.J. (2005).
426:Cardiovascular disease
421:Cardiovascular disease
1050:Accessed 22 July 2006
369:is a major source of
1101:Environmental health
1048:USGS Medical Geology
934:on 28 October 2022.
634:on 7 September 2013
346:One of the biggest
183:, especially their
1054:Medical Geology -
955:medicalgeology.org
432:in the water with
159:have an impact on
137:coccidioidomycosis
119:asbestos dusts in
735:"Medical Geology"
706:(5736): 883–885.
622:"Medical geology"
355:iodine deficiency
342:Iodine deficiency
115:exposure such as
73:, the "father of
26:interdisciplinary
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593:epidemiologists
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480:, Southwest of
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185:bioavailability
149:
88:events such as
86:extreme weather
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22:Medical geology
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1075:External links
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175:field and the
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636:. Retrieved
632:the original
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554:agricultural
503:
500:Other issues
443:
424:
363:brain damage
345:
273:
249:
226:South Africa
189:contaminants
150:
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133:Valley Fever
108:particulates
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75:pharmacology
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1068:, Ecohealth
919:14: 22–23.
804:: 605–612.
488:, parts of
472:comes from
377:; however,
348:geochemical
193:xenobiotics
100:heavy metal
58:Hippocrates
1096:Geobiology
1090:Categories
1035:0126363412
608:References
597:geological
585:geologists
401:by eating
379:goitrogens
238:Bangladesh
222:Maputaland
106:and other
98:and other
71:Paracelsus
46:pathogens.
30:geological
1058:Nov. 2001
925:1651-5250
877:1476-072X
810:2225-6253
759:EcoHealth
638:27 August
542:Venezuela
522:Argentina
478:Guarapari
470:radiation
460:, rocks,
446:radiation
440:Radiation
430:magnesium
389:trap the
303:beryllium
297:such as;
295:chemicals
283:Volcanoes
129:infection
117:amphibole
62:Aristotle
1056:Geotimes
1003:17408204
895:26819075
836:36283381
828:25722963
739:Geotimes
720:16081722
562:diseases
534:selenium
506:fluoride
462:minerals
444:Natural
399:minerals
395:cultures
381:such as
351:diseases
337:Diseases
287:toxicity
262:and the
252:elements
245:toxicity
217:elements
173:medicine
153:Minerals
113:Asbestos
90:flooding
1011:1245988
886:4730661
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700:Science
558:medical
550:nitrate
518:arsenic
434:calcium
323:uranium
311:mercury
307:cadmium
299:arsenic
242:mineral
230:mineral
177:geology
52:History
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514:India
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474:radon
454:water
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330:earth
319:radon
291:earth
264:earth
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157:rocks
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716:PMID
640:2023
548:and
512:and
466:food
464:and
458:soil
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387:clay
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375:soil
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