Medical Geology

The key to understanding the relationship between the geological environment and human health

Medical geology deals with of the impact of environmental factors on the health of individual human beings and communities. In particular, it studies environmental exposure to both macro- and micronutrients in the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere—respectively, soil, water, and airborne dust—which may positively or negatively impact human growth, development, and overall health. The insights contributed by this burgeoning field can aid not only in individual medical cases, but also in assessing disproportionately impacted communities and addressing global medical inequality.

Medical Geology: En route to One Health is among the first books to address this vital subject by summarizing recent research in this field. It also serves as an introduction to the multidisciplinary One Health methodology, which unites medical, geological, and environmental insights in one continuous approach to public health.

Medical Geology readers will also find:

• An explanation of the influence of the environment on nutrient availability
• Case studies of well-documented links between endemic diseases and environmental conditions
• A systematic analysis of the causes of essential element deficiencies in different world regions

Medical Geology is an essential overview of the field, for advanced students as well as medical, environmental, or geological researchers who wish to understand the complex relationship between the geological environment and human health.