Medical fraternity deal with various diseases and how to control,contain and eradicate them.It has been recognized by medical professionals all over the world that some major diseases are traceable to excess or deficient distribution of a particular trace chemical element in the physiological system-such as for instance goitre caused by deficiency of the common salt iodine-I in the system or Fluorosis caused by excess F in the system.To put it in a nut-shell most trace elements occur in natural environments-eg., distribution of trace elements in rocks, soils and waters(groundwater,connate water,sea water and so on) and they interact with life forms on the Earth-human,animals and plant life.Humans drink water,consume food which includes a variety of vegetables as well as food originating from poultry products and flesh.Vegetables and grains and cereals grow on soil and naturally ingest chemical elements that a given soil in a geographic location contain.For example, Selenium-Se deficient soils in certain parts of China has caused seleniosis.Fluorine in groundwater if found in excess causes Fluorosis, a degenerative bone disease.Medical practitioners all over the world have for a long time recognised the geographic distribution of diseases but have made no serious attempt to understand the impact of geologic environments on these geographically contained areas of "human/animal/plant distress".It is here that geochemists who have first-hand knowledge of the origin,distribution of naturally occurring elements in geosphere(atmosphere,hydrosphere and earth s crust) can help epidemiologists in tracing certain disease to abnormality in the distribution of a particular chemical element.This logically calls for a close interaction between geochemists and the epidemiologist in understanding the root cause for a particular disease and thereby in working out treatment to control and possibly eradicate the disease.We breathe(natural air),eat (ingestion of food of various sources) and drink(ingestion through drinking water).A geochemist can literally run through the distribution pattern of elements contained in atmosphere,hydrosphere and crust of the earth and he can confidently point out to a medical practitioner of causative natural environmental factors which cause these diseases.A doctor will be in a much better position to deal with a particular geographically-constrained disease if he chooses to interact with a geochemist.

See if you can get hold of a copy of: Selinus, O. (ed.) 2005. Essentials of medical Geology. Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Thanks Richard

 I have a copy of Selinus, O (ed) you may wish to get it from me. thank you.