CONNECTING THE SILENT HAZARDS IN THE GEOENVIRONMENT: GEOCHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

The 92 naturally occurring elements on earth are found as inorganic and organic chemicals in rocks, soils, waters and air. They are also essential components of biomineralized life forms whose persistence implies specialized biochemical characteristics and mechanisms that insure survival. Their existence and aggregation have influenced elemental distribution over billions of years. Humans, now the dominant force changing the geo-environment, require the same basic inputs as any species: air, water and food with addition of our society’s innovations all of which impact the environment. Buildings, cars, and e-mail enhance our ability to transport not only ourselves but our food, water and thoughts, but also have caused global redistribution of the elements, and changes that may influence our health.

Today, elemental variations, anomalies, are noted on all continents. Some are considered “Silent Hazards” (invisible, odorless, tasteless) and in such small amounts that only high-resolution analyses permit detection and accurate measurements. Any relationship with morbidity or mortality requires painstaking procedures coupled with experimental data to address competing and /or complicating causation co-factors.

Integration of geo- and biological scientists, medical and community health professionals may lead to interpretations often confounded by differences in the human subjects and their life styles. The effects of genetics, metabolism, age, food intake, and exposures in distinct geographic localities are not easily determined nor can they be applied uniformly and globally. Meta analyses including experimental and clinical studies reinforce our willingness to establish levels of permissible exposure and usually in workplace environments. However, it may take years to show that restriction or elimination of a particular offending element or compound and require additional scientific investigations as well as international cooperation.

The notoriety of some diseases or elements may eventually lead to establishment of scientifically based national public health standards the first step in assuring better global health.