Medical geology is an interdisciplinary scientific field studying the relationship between natural geology factors and their effects on Human health and animal health.
- 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 pathogens.
History
Many have deemed medical geology as a new field, when in actuality it is re-emerging.
Hippocrates and
Aristotle 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
hydrobiogeochemoepidemiopathoecology;
however, it is more commonly known as medical geology.
It was established in 1990 by the International Union of Geological Sciences.
, the "father of
pharmacology" (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.
Examples of research in medical geology include:
Recently, a new concept of "geomedical engineering" has been introduced in medical geology through a paper titled "Geomedical Engineering: A new and captivating prospect".
Environment and human health
It is widely known that the state of our environment affects us in many ways.
Minerals and rocks have an impact on
human and
animal populations because that is what the
earth is composed of.
Medical geology brings professionals from both the
medicine field and the
geology field to help us understand this relationship.
There are two priorities that have been established within the medical geology field, "(1) the study of
trace elements, especially their
bioavailability and (2) a need to establish baseline, or background levels of
contaminants/
xenobiotics/potentially harmful but naturally occurring materials in
water,
soil,
air,
food, and
animal tissue."
The
Chemical element 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
Maputaland,
South Africa are exposed to heavily impoverished soils which result in a number of diseases caused by
mineral imbalances.
Secondly, those in areas such as
India and
Bangladesh are often exposed to an excess of elements in the land, resulting in
mineral toxicity.
All living organisms need some naturally occurring Chemical element; however, excessive amounts can be detrimental to health.
Sources of chemical exposure
There are many ways in which
humans come into contact with the earth's elements and below are only a few ways in which we become exposed to them.
-
Volcanoes are one of the main sources that bring all the toxicity from inside the earth to the outside.
-
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 earth."
Diseases
Iodine deficiency
One of the biggest
geochemical diseases is iodine deficiency. Thirty percent of the world is at risk for it and insufficient intake is the most common cause of intellectual disability and
brain damage.
The
sea is a major source of
iodine and those who are further from it are at a disadvantage.
Another source of it is in
soil; however,
goitrogens such as
humus and
clay trap the
iodine, making it hard for people to access it.
Some
cultures actually consume the earth's
minerals by eating
soil and
clay; this is known as geophagy.
It is most common in the tropics, especially among pregnant women.
The Ottomac people of
South America engage in this practice and none have suffered from any
health problems related with mineral/ Iodine deficiency.
Cardiovascular disease
Cardiovascular disease has often been linked to water hardness as the main cause.
Water hardness means that there is
magnesium in the water with
calcium 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.
Radiation
Natural
radiation is found everywhere; it is in the
air,
water,
soil, rocks,
minerals and
food.
The largest amount of
radiation comes from
radon.
Certain places are called 'high background radiation areas' (HBRAs), such as
Guarapari, Southwest of
France, Ramsar, parts of
China, and Kerala Coast.
People living in these areas however have not shown any
health deficiencies and in some cases are even healthier and live longer than those not in HBRAs.
Other issues
Among the problems presented there are also issues with
fluoride in
Africa and
India,
arsenic in
Argentina,
Chile, and
Taiwan,
selenium in areas of the
United States,
Venezuela,
China and
nitrate in
agricultural areas.
As medical geology grows it may become more important to the
medical field in relation to the issue of
diseases.
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:
-
Hyperkalemia: excess amount of potassium
-
Hypercalcemia: excess amount of calcium
-
Hyperphosphatemia: excess amount of phosphorus
International Medical Geology Association
"The International Medical Geology Association (IMGA) aims to provide a network and a forum to bring together the combined expertise of
geologists and earth scientists, environmental scientists,
toxicologists,
epidemiologists, and medical specialists, in order to characterize the properties of
geological 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 in 2006, it was a work in progress for ten years when a working group of medical geology was established by the International Union of Geological Sciences (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.
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