👨‍🏫 Instructors: Dr. Robert B. Finkelman & Dr. Jose A. Centeno
📚 Level: Easy / Introductory
📘 Reference books now available at: iehsconsortium.org/publications

• Introduction and Overview
• Introduction to the Origins of Global Medical Geology
• Metals in Human Physiology – Essentiality, Toxicity, Bioavailability and Risk Assessment
• Health Impacts of Climate Change – A Medical Geology Perspective
• Health Impacts of Dust, Soils, and Clay
• A Medical Geology Perspective of Arsenic as a Poison – Risk Assessment Approach
• Integrating Public Health, Earth Science, and Policy
• Population Health – An Epidemiological Approach
• Health Benefits of Rocks and Minerals and the Future of Medical Geology

Natural materials such as rocks, minerals, soil, natural dust, and contaminated water as well as geologic processes such as volcanic emissions and earthquakes, have and continue to be a major factor in determining the impact of the natural environment in the health of people around the world. In this short course, we will examine these geologic materials and processes to explore the varied and surprising ways they impact human and animal health, usually causing widespread and severe health problems but also producing unanticipated beneficial effects. Principal topics covered will include: basics of toxicology; an overview of geologic materials and processes; examples of how trace elements, minerals, and ambient dust impact human health; examples of how climate change may impact human health. Our aim is to provide a forum by which geoscientists and biomedical/public health researchers are teaming to find practical solutions to health problems associated with the natural geogenic environment, and how we can use principles of geology, chemistry, toxicology, and health sciences to better inform medical studies, public policy, and legal requirements.

This course has been designed and developed including considerations on pedagogy, content, instructional/reference materials available, potential availability of lab and field work, and student selection criteria of a research project. The instructional approach and selection of topics is strongly based on the evolutional changes and environmental management decisions that have shaped the geosciences and public health needs throughout the world. The student will be encouraged to evaluate the broader