Robert B. Finkelman
University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Geosciences
Richardson, TX 75080, USA
Every day of our lives we eat, drink, and breathe minerals and trace elements. For most of us this interaction with natural materials is harmless, perhaps even beneficial, supplying us with some essential nutrients. However, for some, the interaction with the minerals and trace elements can have devastating, even fatal effects. Examples that will be discussed include: a town in Montana that has been devastated by trace quantities of asbestos in a vermiculite deposit and how it may affect people throughout the U.S.; a deadly fungus mobilized by earthquakes and may impact people in northern Mexico; natural groundwater that has contributed to the death of more than 100,000 people in the Balkans and a similar situation that may exist in east Texas. We will look at numerous examples of how geologic materials and geologic processes have affected animal and human health of many millions of people around the world, including Mexico. In every case there are opportunities for geoscientists to work with public health researchers to mitigate these and other environmental health problems.
Topics include:
- Medical Geology: An Overview
- Natural Sources and Health Impacts of Trace Elements and Minerals
- Arsenic: A Global Killer
- Dust: A Returning Threat to Health
- Soil: The Essence of Medical Geology
- Health Benefits of Trace Elements and Minerals
El Dr. Finkelman formó parte por 32 años del US Geological Survey; actualmente es profesor-investigador en la Universidad de Dallas. El Dr. Finkelman se ha especializado en la comprensión del impacto de los materiales y procesos geológicos en la salud humana y animal con investigaciones en diversos países a lo largo de decenas de años; como parte de este interés fue miembro fundador de la Asociación Internacional de Geología Médica.
El curso será impartido en inglés (muy claro y entendible) y cualquier duda o problema con la traducción al español estará a cargo de la Dra. Ma. Aurora Armienta.
Coordinador:
Robert B. Finkelman [bobf@utdallas.edu]
Ma. Aurora Armienta [victoria@geofisica.unam.mx]
Archivos adjuntos:
CU08.pdf
