medical geology newsletter · news and developments on medical geology world-wide. it also features...
TRANSCRIPT
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
2
IMGA ELECTI0NS 3
CHAPTER NEWS 4
CHAPTER REPORTS 7
NOTICES 11
PAST EVENTS 12
UPCOMING EVENTS 13
ANTIBACTERIAL CLAYS 15
ETHNOGEOLOGY AND
MEDICAL GEOLOGY
17
BOTTLED WATERS 20
Inside this issue:
July 2011
International Medical Geology Association
Newsletter No. 18 ISSN 1651-5250
MEDICAL GEOLOGY NEWSLETTER
Website: www.medicalgeology.org
4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MEDICAL GEOLOGY
GEOMED2011-
Geological and Medical Sciences for a Safer Environment
BARI, ITALY, September 20-25, 2011
See Page 13
ENTHOGEOLOGY AND THE ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF CLAYS See pages 14—19
WATER SUPPLIES: ANCIENT (Roman aqueduct, Pont du Gard, France, above) AND MODERN (See Bottled Waters page 20)
Dear Friends and Colleagues on Medical Geology:
It is with a great pleasure that I introduce to you the
first 2011 issue of our Newsletter. As you all know,
our Newsletter is the main publication of the Interna-
tional Medical Geology Association (IMGA ). The
IMGA Newsletter is published twice a year and is a
celebration of our activities throughout the year.
Our Newsletter is a comprehensive overview of not
only IMGA activities, but it also includes the latest
news and developments on medical geology world-
wide. It also features articles and case reports from
leading researchers in the field of medical geology
and serves as a forum to discuss the latest develop-
ments on research, training and educational activities.
On this issue, our IMGA members talk about the im-
portance of clays and the role that these minerals may
play in medical geology (article by Sandra Londono),
and about the issue of bottled water (an article by
Olle Selinus), a recurrent concern that has brought
attention to the role that medical geology scientists
and researchers have on providing safe water around
the world. At a time when water supply sustainabil-
ity is high on the agenda, IMGA continues to provide
a scientific venue for the study of these very impor-
tant and highly relevant issues.
In this Newsletter, we also welcome the USA Geol-
ogy and Health Division, Geological Society of
America as our first Honorary Chapter. Like
IMGA, the GSA-Geology and Health Division is
concerned with the intersection of geology with the
health of humans, animals and plants, and strives to:
bring together an interdisciplinary range of scientists
and practitioners; facilitate the presentation and dis-
cussion of relevant problems and ideas; promote re-
search and publication of relevant studies; foster rec-
ognition of significant contributions and achieve-
ments; and encourage and mentor interested students
in these interdisciplinary related issues.
Finally, I would like to take the opportunity of our
Newsletter to invite everyone to our main interna-
tional event, the 4th International Conference on
Medical Geology (GEMED2011), in Bari, Italy the
week of September 18-25, 2011. Under the leader-
ship of Prof. Dr. Saverio Fiore, this conference prom-
ises to be a remarkable event featuring our worldwide
activities on medical geology. On behalf of our Ex-
ecutive Committee and the Organizers of GEOMED
2011, I look forward to welcome you to Bari, Italy.
Enjoy our Newsletter,
Jose A. Centeno, Chairman
International Medical Geology Association
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN
Page 2 Newsletter Title
FRONT PAGE PHOTOGRAPHS. WATER SUPPLIES:ANCIENT AND MODERN
The Pont du Gard, an aqueduct built in the first century AD over the Gard River, in southern France, is the highest and one of the
best preserved Roman aqueducts, and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is part of a system built to carry water from a natural
source, the Fontaine d'Eure, to the city of Nîmes with, at that time, a population of about 50,000. It is about 20 km in a direct line
from the source to Nîmes, but the system is about 50 km in length, as a result of accommodation to the local topography, and it de-
scends by only 17 m over that distance. It was eventually abandoned, probably in the 9th century, largely as a result of mineral de-
posits caused by the high lime content of the water but it is unlikely that the Romans had water analysis.
Our water supply is much more diverse and to a much larger population and the inset reminds us that one of these sources is bottled
water, the geochemistry of which is discussed in an article on pages 20—24.
Photo of Pont du Gard by David Elliott. Photo of bottled water from website gmn.mintel.com
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
It is my great pleasure as Chairman of the Interna-
tional Medical Geology Association, to announce the
results of the election that was held earlier this year.
In accordance with our bylaws, IMGA members were
nominated by our IMGA Nomination Committee to
serve within our Executive Committee on positions
requiring a change in 2011. As required by our by-
laws, all IMGA members were given the opportunity
to vote via an on-line voting form. As a result of this
process, our newly elected Executive Committee
members and their positions are listed below:
Secretary Dr. Karin Ljung (Karolinska Institute,
Sweden)
Medical Councillor Prof. Dr. Eduardo Santini-
Araujo (Argentina)
Geoscience Councillor Prof. Dr. Theo Davis (South
Africa)
IMGA Committee Chairs: Bylaws Committee : Prof. Dr. Saverio Fiore (Italy)
Education Committee: Prof. Dr. Claire Howell (UK)
Student Committee: Dr. Ana Maria Rojas
(Colombia)
Funding Committee: Prof. Dr. Jiin-Shuh Jean
(Taiwan)
On behalf of IMGA and our Executive Committee, I
would like to congratulate each one of our new
elected officers, and chairs, and to welcome you to
your new position within IMGA. Thank you for your
willingness to contribute to our Association in this
new capacity.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express
our appreciation to all our former Executive Commit-
tee members, for their dedication, loyalty, and tireless
efforts during their time of service to IMGA. I would
like to thank Phil Weinstein (Chair Funding Commit-
tee), Bob Finkelman (Chairman, Education Commit-
tee), Sandra Londono (Chair, Student Commit-
tee). Your hard work and countless contributions to
the success of our Association are greatly appreci-
ated. We are particularly grateful to our former Sec-
retary, Dr. Kimberley McAuley. Kimberley's ener-
getic direction and seamless way of managing this
position has been key to the success of our Associa-
tion.
I also want to thank those who were not elected. We
would appreciate much if we can count on your ser-
vices and support in other ways and if we can come
back to you in future elections for councillors and
chairs of committees.
Again, congratulations to the new officers on your
selection to serve on the IMGA Executive Commit-
tee. With your participation, I am sure that we will be
able to continue strengthening our position as an out-
standing international organization bringing medical
geology education and research to the wide world.
Warmest regards to all,
Jose Centeno
IMGA ELECTIONS
Page 3 Newsletter Title
To expand and develop the IMGA community world-wide, IMGA is encouraging the establishment of Local
Chapters (i.e., groups) within individual countries. The aim is that IMGA Local Chapters are established by
local groups of enthusiasts interested in Medical Geology. The IMGA bylaws state that:
Chapters are groups within a region bringing together people in an area (city, country, etc.) or in an organi-
zation (university, government agency, etc.) interested in Medical Geology. All members of the Chapter must
be members of the Association. A Chapter must consist of at least five (5) members. To be recognized as a for-
mal Chapter the members must send a request to the IMGA Committee. Upon approval a certificate of recog-
nition will be issued.
Chapters are a way to "locally" facilitate the growth of Medical Geology. The concept of developing
"Chapters" is a fundamental basis by which larger societies strengthen their regional and eventually their na-
tional development. Chapters are designed to operate within the "confinements" of their locality and therefore
they are complimentary to the Regional Divisions of IMGA and shall not compete with the Regional Divisions
which are regional, in most cases involving several countries.
Members of chapters pay individual dues to IMGA central (see the IMGA web-site for details). All affiliated
organisations, including Chapters, must send regular reports for the newsletter.
Each Chapter must consist of at least 5 members in order to be recognised by the IMGA Committee. There are
no rules as to how each Local Chapter should be organised. Each Local Chapter can decide the structure that is
best for their needs depending on the activities that they plan to organise in their region. However, it is recom-
mended that each Local Chapter appoints a Chairman who heads the Chapter and liases with the IMGA Com-
mittee. Chapters may also want to appoint a Secretary to help take the minutes of meetings, etc.
Once a local grouping has 5 members and a structure in place (i.e., has nominated a Chairman, etc.), an appli-
cation can be made to the IMGA Committee for approval to become a Local Chapter. Once approved, by the
IMGA Committee, an annual certificate of recognition is issued to each Chapter.
The IMGA Committee sets aside 50% of the dues from Chapter members for use by the Local Chapter. The
Local Chapter can apply to use these funds on IMGA Board approved activities. In addition, Local Chapters
can apply to the IMGA Committee for funds to support local activities.
In this newsletter we extend a warm welcome to the Geology and Health Division of the Geological Society of
America, which has joined IMGA as an Honorary Chapter. This joins the Local Chapters that have already
been established successfully in the following countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, Iran, Macedonia,
Portugal, Taiwan, Argentina, Japan, Italy and Uruguay. Several of these Chapters provide reports of their ac-
tivities in this newsletter.
If you would like to organise an IMGA Local Chapter or apply for IMGA Committee approval for a Local
Chapter, please contact:
Fiona Fordyce, IMGA Local Chapters Councillor [email protected]
British Geological Survey
West Mains Road
Edinburgh EH9 3LA, UK
CHAPTER NEWS
Page 4 Newsletter Title
ESTABLISHED CHAPTERS
The date on which the certificate was presented is
shown in brackets after the Chapter name.
Brazil (2008)
Contact: Dr Bernardino Figueiredo, Institute of Geosciences,
University of Campinas, PO Box 6152, 13083-970 Campinas,
Brazil.
Colombia (2008)
Contact: Sandra Londono, Department of Geosciences, Ciudad
Universitaria Carrera 30 No 45 – 03, Universidad Nacional de
Colombia (National University of Colombia), 11001 Bogotá,
Colombia.
Ghana (2008)
Contact: Dr. Emmanuel Arhin, University for Development
Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of Earth and
Environmental Sciences, PO Box 24 Navrongo, UER, Ghana
and University of Leicester, Geology Department, University
Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK
Republic of Macedonia (2008)
Contact: Dr Tena Sijakova, Faculty of Mining and Geology, St
Cyril and Methodius University, Goce Delcev 89 2000 Štip,
Republic of Macedonia
Iran (2008)
Contact: Dr Abdolmajid Yaghubpur, Department of Geology,
Tarbiat Moalem University, Tehran 15614, Iran
Bolivia (2009)
Contact: Rafael Morant National Institute of Occupational
Medicine, La Paz, Bolivia
Portugal (2010)
Contact: Dr Eduardo Ferreira da Silva, Geosciences Depart-
ment, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
Taiwan (2010)
Contacts: Mr. Cheng Hung, National Cheng Kung University,
Tainan, Taiwan.
Prof Jiin-Shuh Jean, Professor of Hydrogeology, Dept of Earth
Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 70101,
Taiwan
Italy (2010)
Contact: Prof Saverio Fiore, Institute of Methodologies for En-
vironmental Analysis.
Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis- CNR,
85050 Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy
Adjunct Professor of Mineralogy, University of Basilicata
Argentina (2010)
Contacts: Prof Eduardo Santini (Vice-President South-America
International Academy of Pathology)
Uruguay (2010)
Contact: Prof Nelly Manay, Dept of Toxicology and Environ-
mental Hygiene, University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uru-
guay.
[email protected] and [email protected]
Japan (2010)
Contact: Prof. Hisashi Nirei, The Geo-pollution Control Agency
International Union of Geological Science (IUGS) Geoscience
for Environmental Management (GEM) Japan Branch, 1277-1
Kamayauchi,Motoyahagi, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture 287-
0025, Japan
CHAPTERS NEWS Cont.
Page 5 Newsletter Title
EDITOR’S NOTE: CHAPTER NEWS
As indicated on the by-law extracts quoted on the previous page, ―All affiliated organisations, including
Chapters, must send regular reports for the newsletter”.
A few chapters are diligent in sending in reports, but we have not heard from many others. This is your op-
portunity to let others in the medical geology community know what is happening in your Chapter, so please
send in your reports; articles or brief accounts of medical geology activities are also very welcome.
If you have contributions, or questions, please send them to the Newsletter Editor, David Elliott at
India
Contact: Dr Pradip Wesanekar, Dept of Geology, Science Col-
lege, Nanded, India
Bulgaria
Contact: Prof Krasimira Staneva,
E-mail: [email protected]
China
Contact: Prof Zheng Baoshan, Institute of Geochemistry, Chi-
nese Academy of Sciences, China
POSSIBLE CHAPTERS
Sweden
Contact: Dr Olle Selinus, SGU
UK
Contact: Dr Mark Cave, BGS
Nigeria
Contact: Holleng Bwakat, Plateau Rural Water Supply and
Sanitation Agency, Jos Plateau State, Nigeria.
CHAPTERS AWAITING APPROVAL
Kenya
Contact: Prof Beneah Odhiambo, Moi University, P. O. Box
3900, Eldoret – 30100, Kenya
THE IMGA WELCOMES AN HONORARY CHAPTER
USA Geology and Health Division, Geological Society of America
Contact: Dr Syed Hasan, Chair, Geology & Health Division, Geological Society of America
The IMGA has created a new category – Honorary Chapter - to accommodate the Geological Society of
America’s Geology and Health Division. The Division was established in 2006 with objectives and goals simi-
lar to that of the IMGA. Like the IMGA, the Division is concerned with the intersection of geology with the
health of humans, animals and plants, and strives to: bring together an interdisciplinary range of scientists and
practitioners; facilitate the presentation and discussion of relevant problems and ideas; promote research and
publication of relevant studies; foster recognition of significant contributions and achievements; and encourage
and mentor interested students in these interdisciplinary related issues. The Division is now a vibrant and
growing organization with some 250 members primarily from North America. The management of both or-
ganizations felt that affiliation of the like-minded organizations would be mutually beneficial.
As an Honorary Chapter, the Division will remain fully independent, but agreed to abide by the IMGA rules
governing Chapters, will maintain at least five members who are also members in good standing of the IMGA.
It will advertise and promote all IMGA events and activities and encourage its membership to join the IMGA.
The Division will provide a contribution describing Division activities to all future IMGA Newsletters.
In return, the IMGA will recognize the Division as an Honorary Chapter and offer Division members a dis-
count in IMGA membership dues and discounts to attend IMGA activities and events and for IMGA products.
The IMGA will advertise and promote all Division events and activities. The IMGA will provide a summary
of its activities for the Division Newsletter.
The new Honorary Chapter has already demonstrated its enthusiasm for this relationship by submitting a pro-
posal to host the 2013 IMGA conference.
CHAPTERS NEWS Cont.
Page 6 Newsletter Title
During the last period, our activities have been di-
rected towards researching and disseminating the re-
sults and work of the group.
RESEARCH
Under the research heading, ‖Pathogenesis and Me-
dicinal Potential of the Mineral Resource‖ we have
conducted several projects exploring the healing
properties of clay minerals used among the Uitoto
indigenous nation. The first project by Sandra Lon-
dono and Cristina Garzon (2007), studied the geo-
chemical and geological characteristics of several
healing clays used in folk medicine. The approach
was multidisciplinary, drawing methods from anthro-
pology and geology. In 2010, Ricardo Ballesteros
and Cristina Garzon further researched the antibacte-
rial and antifungal activities of these clays. Of the 5
samples tested, 4 were found to completely inhibit
bacterial growth of S. aureus, E. coli and B. subtilis.
The results of the research were published in the UN
(National University) newspaper, which circulates as
a supplement of El Tiempo, one of the main Colom-
bian journals. The article can be read in Spanish in
http://www.unperiodico.unal.edu.co/dper/article/en-
el-araracuara-descubren-arcillas-con-propiedades-
antibacterianas/. Additionally, the authors were in-
terviewed on a prestigious UN radio program; the
topic addressed was ―Geopharmacy‖. The research
results were mentioned in national radio programs
attracting the attention and interest of the general
public.
The group recognizes that the folk knowledge per-
tains to the Uitoto people and that it should be a
source of welfare for them. We are currently looking
for strategies to share the benefits and exchange
knowledge; this is a priority so future research im-
proves their lives as well as ours.
The preliminary work conducted in 2007 not only
continued in Colombia, but it also sprouted in Ari-
zona when Londono brought one of the Amazonian
clays to Arizona State University. She currently
works towards her Ph.D. under Dr. Lynda Williams,
studying the properties that can make clay antibacte-
rial. A summary of this on-going research can be
found in this issue and the results will be presented at
the 4th International Medical Conference in Italy.
Another project, the ―Pathogenesis and Medicinal
Potential of the Mineral Resource‖ is being coordi-
nated by Ana Maria Rojas. Ana Maria is currently
working with the Environmental Ministry of Colom-
bia participating in projects related to mercury pollu-
tion due to small-scale gold mining. The projects
have a public health and toxicology component that
is complementary to the geochemical and environ-
mental component. Thanks to Ana Maria’s hard
work, the entity is now considering addressing Medi-
cal Geology in a more direct way, promoting and
supporting projects under this denomination and ac-
cepting the participation and collaboration of the re-
search group. A project is currently being defined
and it will be announced soon.
INCREASING OUR PRESENCE ON THE WEB
The Colombian group is proud to announce our
Google site. You can visit us, and check out our im-
age, follow our activities and projects and send us
comments at https://sites.google.com/site/
grupodegeologiamedicayforense/. The page can be
translated into several languages by clicking the
―translate‖ button. Ana Maria Rojas was the creator
of the page that also contains links to our Facebook
group. It is a work in progress, so we invite you to
visit us and send your comments, questions and criti-
cisms, to improve our website. We also want to in-
clude links to other medical geology websites and
effectively integrate into the growing Medical Geol-
ogy community.
Finally, the group worked at submitting a paper for
―Facies‖, a student journal of the Earth Science de-
partment of UN.
CHAPTER REPORTS
Page 7 Newsletter Title
COLOMBIA
are interested, and like to do their research, in the
field of medical geology. I am glad to inform you
that many organizations in Iran are now helping our
research projects and I hope that we can be of more
help to the people's health in future.
I like to inform you that the Medical Geology Center
of the Geological Survey of Iran has also sent a pre-
liminary proposal for preparing an Atlas of the World
Medical Geology to the UNESO. The atlas of medi-
cal geology of Iran has already been published by the
Medical Geology Center of the Geological Survey of
Iran and a copy of it was sent to Professor Selinus.
I would be glad to answer any questions about our
activities.
Best Regards,
Dr. Abdolmajid Yaghubpur
Local Chapter of Iran
Tel/Fax: 0098-21-22400112
e-mail: [email protected]
GEO, and the ROSGEO Medical Geology Division,
and brought together health and geoscience profes-
sionals working in the field of Hydrogeology, Medi-
cal Hydrogeology, Hygiene and Sanitation for the
presentations, which were devoted to the problems of
potable water, in particular water quality and the
health of the population. On behalf of ROSGEO, Dr.
Iosif Volfson made a presentation on the Chemical
Composition of Potable Water and Endemic diseases,
and Dr. Leonid I. Elpiner (WPI RAS) presented on
The Quality of Underground Waters and Human
Morbidity.
Another event was a scientific congress of the An-
nual Forum Great Rivers, traditionally held in Nizhny
Novgorod in Spring. The 12th Great Rivers Forum
was held in May, 17-19. A special session on danger-
ous geological processes was co-organized by ROS-
GEO the and VOLGAGEOLOGIJA Industrial Enter-
The Russian Geological Society (ROSGEO) held two
successful Medical Geology meetings in April and
May, 2011.
An International Conference: Potable Underground
Waters. The Study and Use of Informational Tech-
nologies , held outside Moscow (Zeleny settlement)
on April, 18 – 22 and was devoted to problems of
potable water, such as the quality, monitoring and
protection of the water resources of Russia and adja-
cent territories, and medical aspects of potable water
use. The meeting was supported by the UNESCO
Division of Water Sciences, VSEGINGEO Scien-
tific-Research Institute - the leading organization in
the field of hydrogeology and engineering geology of
Russia - and the Water Problems Research Institute
of the Russian Academy of Sciences (WPI RAS).
The meeting was co-organized by the Federal
Agency on Mineral Resources (Rosnedra), ROS-
REGION REPORT: RUSSIA-N.I.S.
IRAN
Page 8 Newsletter Title
There are now 18 Iranian members of the IAMG, and
I hope to encourage our colleagues to help the medi-
cal geology local chapter in Iran more. At present
almost every geologist, geochemist, and medical doc-
tor that I talk to about the purpose of geomedicine is
interested in working on this subject.
Last June , we arranged an international medical ge-
ology conference in Tehran that was sponsored by
the Geological Survey of Iran. Several geologists
from various countries participated in the conference
and presented the results of their investigations. At
the beginning of the conference we had a message
from Professor Selinus, followed by the key speak-
ers. The program and the details of the conference
were then sent to IAMG headquarters and can be
found on the IAMG website and also the site of the
Geological Survey of Iran under the Medical Geol-
ogy Center title.
At present, in every seminar on geology, mineralogy,
or related subjects one of the permanent themes is
medical geology, and most of the geology students
prise. On behalf of ROSGEO, Dr. Evgeny Farrahov
presented on the Social, Environmental and Eco-
nomic Aspects of Reclamation and Exploration. A
significant part of his presentation was devoted to the
health problems of professionals and the population
living in the extreme climatic and environmental con-
ditions of Siberia and the Far East of Russia where
intensive geological exploration is currently being
carried out.
Both of these meetings provided a leading forum for
interaction between scientists, consultants, and public
servants engaged in the multi-disciplinary areas of
environment and health. Participants in the confer-
ences represent expertise in a diverse range of scien-
tific fields (such as geology, geochemistry, hydrol-
ogy, epidemiology, sanitation and hygiene, chemis-
try, medicine, etc.), as well as the regulatory and in-
dustrial communities. Papers from the meetings are
published in special issues and proceedings.
Another remarkable event we are pleased to highlight
here. There were three works on Medical Geology
presented for consideration of the Annual Premium
of ROSGEO and Rosnedra Commission (this Pre-
mium was established in 2005). A group of young
geoscientists of Tyumen’ University of Oil and Gas
(West Siberia) Lydia S. Semochkina, Ekaterina N.
Samoilova, in cooperation with medical people was
presented with a special achievements award in the
field of medical geology for a research project with
the title, The Comparative Study of Naften Oil of
Naftalan Deposit of Azerbaijan and Deposits Van-
Egan and Russkoye of Tyumen Territory, which tar-
get the promotion and spread of the practical use of
highly viscous naften hydrocarbons of West Siberia
as a healing natural resource. The famous naften oil
of Naftalan deposit (Azerbaijan) has been used as a
balneology substance since time immemorial. It was
revealed that Siberian oil possesses the same charac-
teristics as the Naftalan one. It provides good pros-
pects for the use of Siberian oil for balneology, and a
top level balneology resort based on the oil resources
of Siberia. This important research was carried out
by students of Tyumen' State University of Gas and
Oil.
The second of the work considers shilaijit*
(mumiyo), as a sort of mineral resource, associated
with granite massifs and controlled by geological
structures in the Altai Region and many other territo-
ries of the East of Russia. The author of this work Dr.
Michael Savinikh defended the shilaijit from the Al-
tai Region at a Pharmacy Commission of Russia, as a
medicine, and got a commercial certificate for its pro-
duction.
The third of the presented works, Thyroid Gland Pa-
thology as a Subject in the Study of Environmental
Geology and Geochemistry (by Olga A. Denisova,
Natalia Baranovskaya, Leonid P. Rikhvanov, Georgy
E.Сhernogoryuk, E.V. Kalianov (State Siberian
Medical University, Tomsk Polytechnic University,
and Polity of Tomsk) was partly presented in the
IMGA Springer book Medical Geology. Regional
Synthesis (IMGA RD Russia - NIS Chapter, written
by Olga Denisova et al.). The aim of the investigation
was to study the ecological and geochemical factors
controlling thyroid pathology in the Tomsk region
and to reveal the imbalance of trace element levels in
the thyroid gland in different forms of thyroid pathol-
ogy. It was shown that iodine deficiency in soils and
drinking water is not very pronounced and does not
play a significant role in the development of the thy-
roid pathology in the Tomsk region. These diseases
depend to a greater extent on anthropogenic and natu-
ral geochemical factors. The data that was obtained
showed that the element concentration in all groups
of thyroid diseases differs significantly from the con-
trol, in that they have an increased accumulation of
RUSSIA-N.I.S. Cont.
Page 9 Newsletter Title
* SHILAIJIT is a 'mineral oil', 'stone oil' or 'rock sweat', that seeps from cracks in mountains. Once cleaned from
impurities and extracted, Shilaijit is a homogeneous brown-black paste-like substance, with a glossy surface, a pe-
culiar smell and bitter taste. It easily dissolves in water without leaving any residue, and it will soften when
worked between the fingers. It has been reported to contain at least 85 minerals in ionic form, including triter-
penes and aromatic carboxylic acid, as well as humic acid and fulvic acid. It is used in traditional Indian medicine
and has a number of medical applications. (Editor’s Note, based on Wikipedia).
sodium and iron, and decreased level of calcium and
selenium. It is possible these elements play an impor-
tant role in the development of thyroid pathology.
The information that was obtained may give an op-
portunity to predict thyroid pathology in the popula-
tion and plan preventive measures.
Some words about activities targeted on the organiza-
tion of scientific conferences and forums on Medical
Geology in Russia and N.I.S. We are pleased to an-
nounce the International Conference ―Actual prob-
lems of modern geology, geochemistry and geogra-
phy‖ which will be held during the week of 29-30
September, 2011, in Brest (Republic of Belarus) at
the State University of Brest named after Alexander
Pushkin, Geography Department.
Details on this conference can be found in the Up-
coming Events section of this Newsletter.
RUSSIA-N.I.S. Cont.
Page 10 Newsletter Title
Dr. Michael Savinikh, from Siberia, winner of ROSGEO - Rosnedra
Premium in Medical Geology, and an expert in the geology of
shilaijit. The Premium Award, below.
TAIWAN CHAPTER WEBSITE
The Taiwan Chapter on Medical Geology. Has launched a website, see: (http://proj.ncku.edu.tw/imgatwn/)
NEW BOOK
MEDICAL GEOLOGY: CURRENT STATUS AND PERSPECTIVES.
A 2116 page book in Russian with English abstracts or summaries, published 2010, edited by Iosif Volfson.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA ACADEMIC PROGRAM IN MEDICAL GEOLOGY
A multi-disciplinary team of scientists at University of North Dakota is exploring establishment of an aca-
demic program in Medical Geology. The program would draw on existing programs in four colleges, nine de-
partments, and five research units. UND’s PhD programs in Geology, Biochemistry, Biology, Microbiology,
Pathology, Pharmacology-Physiology, Therapeutics, Nursing, Physics and the MS program in Geography all
have researchers and facilities that touch on various aspects of environmental health. Supporting laboratories,
research centres and agencies include: the North Dakota Center for Rural Health, the UND Environmental
Analytical Research Laboratory, the UND Environmental & Energy Research Center (EERC), the North Da-
kota Geological Survey, and the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center. The team has submitted a request
for funding to the Vice President for Research and has held a planning session to begin defining a vision and
strategic plan for development of the program. The initial plan is to bring researchers together for discussions
that will raise awareness and draw attention to the program. A key element is to establish a seminar series with
established researchers in the field invited to campus for presentations and discussions. The seminar series will
begin during the fall semester 2011.
Will Gosnold: [email protected]
EUROGEOSURVEYS AGRICULTURAL SOIL GEOCHEMICAL MAPPING PROJECT The EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Working Group is carrying out the GEMAS-Project (Geochemical Map-
ping of Agricultural Land and Grazing Land Soils of Europe). 34 European Geological Survey Organisations
will collect samples of arable land (ploughing layer, 0-20 cm) and of land under permanent grass cover (0-10
cm) at a density of 1 site per 2500 km2 in their territory. The total area covered is about 5.8 million km2 and is
a continuation and extension of the Baltic Soil Survey (Reimann et al., 2003). The project is led by Dr Clem-
ens Reimann, of the Norwegian Geological Survey who is Chair of the EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Work-
ing Group and President of the International Association of Geochemistry (IAGC). The European metals in-
dustry, represented by EuroMetaux in Brussels, will contribute to this project over a period of four years.
Reimann, C., Siewers, U., Tarvainen, T., Bityukova, L., Eriksson, J., Gilucis, A., Gregorauskiene, V., Lukashev, V.K., Matinian,
N.N., & Pasieczna, A. 2003. Agricultural Soils in Northern Europe: A Geochemical Atlas. Geologisches Jahrbuch, Sonderhefte,
Reihe D, Heft SD 5, Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, ISBN: 3-510-95906-X.
EUROGEOSURVEYS URBAN GEOCHEMISTRY
The EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Working Group on Urban Geochemistry has produced a book on Urban
Geochemical Mapping. This comprehensive text focuses on the increasingly important issues of urban geo-
chemical mapping with key coverage of the distribution and behaviour of chemicals and compounds in the ur-
ban environment. Clearly structured throughout, the first part of the book covers general aspects of urban
chemical mapping with an overview of current practice and reviews of different aspects of the component
methodologies. The second part includes case histories from different urban areas around Europe authored by
those national or academic institutions tasked with investigating the chemical environments of their major ur-
ban centres.
Johnson, C C, Demetriades, A, Locutura, J and Ottesen, R T (eds). 2011. Mapping the Chemical Environment of Urban Areas. John
Wiley & Sons.
ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH ENCYCLOPAEDIA
IMGA was very involved in the production of this Encyclopaedia, published in March 2011. See Newsletter
No. 17 Page 12.
Nriagu J O (ed.) Encyclopaedia of Environmental Health, Volume 2. Burlington: Elsevier.
NOTICES
Page 11 Newsletter Title
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH INCORPORATING THE 28TH EUROPEAN
CONFERENCE OF THE SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH (SEGH).
Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK 10th - 15th April, 2011 See Medical Geology Newsletter No. 17
for information on this conference.
PAST EVENTS
Page 12 Newsletter No. 18
9TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY (ISEG) 2012
University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal 15-22 July
Organised by Dr Eduardo Da Silva: [email protected].
The event was jointly promoted by the University of Aveiro (Portugal), and the IAGC - International Associa-
tion of Geochemistry, SEGH - Society of Environmental Geochemistry and Health and IMGA - International
Medical Geology Association. The symposium was an international scientific event that embraced the fields of
environmental geochemistry and health and provided a major interdisciplinary forum of discussion for scien-
tists working within the environmental geochemistry science. A technical programme, keynotes, special ses-
sions, workshops, and post-excursions supported the theme.
Weblink: http://9iseg.web.ua.pt Contacts: [email protected]
BRITISH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MEDICAL GEOLOGY MEETING: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF MEDICAL
GEOLOGY.
British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottingham, UK, 19-20th March 2009
The British Geological Survey (BGS) held a successful two-day Medical Geology meeting in March 2009.
The meeting was supported by the International Medical Geology Association (IMGA) and the Society for En-
vironmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH), and brought together health and geoscience professionals
working in the field of Medical Geology. Papers from the meeting were published in December in a special
issue of the Journal of Environmental Geochemistry and Health:
Watts, M. J, Cave, M. R. and Fordyce, F. M. (eds). 2010. Special Issue: Practical Applications of Medical Geology.
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Journal, 32 (6).
FUTURE THAMES—LONDON EARTH LAUNCH
London, UK 13th May 2011
Future Thames is a multi-disciplinary project within the British Geological Survey investigating cities, catch-
ments and coasts to provide applied geoscience information for decision-making in London and the Thames
Basin, part of which, London Earth, is the recently completed soil geochemical survey of Greater London. It
provides unique information on the soil chemistry, which is of direct relevance to human health studies, land-
use planning and development, urban regeneration and the assessment of contaminated land in the London
area. A series of 10 maps showing the distribution of environmentally sensitive elements across London were
displayed for the first time at this seminar. Cutting-edge techniques researching environmental impacts on hu-
man health were also demonstrated. The maps and some presentations are available to download from the fol-
lowing web-sites:
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/FutureThames/home.html
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/conferences/FTLEseminar/home.html
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/gbase/londonearth.html
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE. ACTUAL PROBLEMS OF MODERN GEOLOGY, GEOCHEMISTRY AND GEOG-
RAPHY
29-30 September, 2011, in Brest (Republic of Belarus) at the State University of Brest named after Alexander
Pushkin, Geography Department.
The scientific topics of the conference are as follows: Theory and methodology of the Earth Sciences. New ideas and concepts.
Actual problems of modern geology.
World of minerals and its’ structure. Genesis of minerals.
Geological surveys and prospecting for mineral resources.
Geochemistry of natural landscapes and urban territories.
Rational use of the natural resources and environmental safety.
Medical geology, geochemistry and geography.*
Geology at secondary general school and at higher school.
* – Scientific session will be devoted to the 5th Anniversary of IMGA RD Russia – NIS establishment.
The deadline for abstract submission was 15 June, 2011.
Enquiries
Maxim A. Bogdasarov, [email protected]
Pushkin BrGU, Dept. of Geography, Chair of Geography of Belarus, Head.
224016 REPUBLIC OF BELARUS, Brest, Bul. Kosmonavtov, 21, Pushkin BrGU, Dept. of Geography,
Chair of Geography of Belarus, off. 726.
Cell phone: 37529 228 47 43; 37544 727 34 33.
Iosif F. Volfson, [email protected] or [email protected]
Russian Geological Society Science Secretary
115191 RUSSIA, Moscow, 2-d Roshcheynskaya ul. 10
Tel/fax: + 7 495 952 67 00
UPCOMING EVENTS
Page 13 Newsletter No. 18
4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MEDICAL GEOLOGY GEOMED2011— Geological and Medical Sci-
ences for a Safer Environment
Bari Italy September 20-25, 2011
This conference is being organised by Prof. Saverio Fiore of the International Medical Geology Association
(IMGA) Italian Chapter and the Italian Association for the Study of Clays (AISA). The theme of the Confer-
ence, Geological & Medical Sciences for a Safer Environment, provides a unique opportunity for mineralo-
gists, physicians, soil scientists, toxicologists, geochemists, veterinarians, biologists, chemists and for many
other specialists to share ideas and knowledge on the impact of natural environment on health
Key Dates:
June 1, 2010: Registration commenced
June 30, 2011: Registration fee deadline for the inclusion of abstracts in the Book of Abstracts and Programme
The deadline for abstract submission was 30 Feb., 2011.
More information is available on the web-site: http://www.geomed2011.it/
UPCOMING EVENTS Cont.
Page 14 Newsletter No. 18 ISSN 1651-5250
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA ANNUAL MEETING: Sessions with health-related presentations.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, October 9-11, 2011.
Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Physical Properties of Atmospheric Mineral Dust: Influences on the Atmosphere, the
Cryosphere, Ecosystems, and Humans. Richard L. Reynolds, Joshua Feinberg, Suzette A. Morman This session emphasizes the mineralogy, geochemistry, and physical properties of contemporary dust to understand the influences of atmospheric
particulate matter on climate, weather, snow- and ice-melt, human health, landscape fertility, and ocean fertilization
Impact of Winter De-Icing Chemicals on the Environment. Rudolph Hon, Walton R. Kelly, Samuel V. Panno. Winter de-icing chemicals on their return path from road surfaces create many environmental problems including deterioration of public water sup-
plies, interference with aquatic life environments, and infrastructure corrosion.
Pathogens and Fecal Indicators in Soil, Groundwater, and Surface Water Larry D. McKay, Mark Borchardt This session examines fecal contamination from a variety of perspectives, including detection, transport, survival, modeling, regulation, and man-
agement. We are especially interested in field-scale studies and cross-disciplinary research.
Recent Advances in Studies of Dissolved Arsenic and Other Metals in Global Hydrologic Systems. Prosun Bhattacharya, Abhi-
jit Mukherjee, D. Kirk Nordstrom, Holly A. Michael, Jochen Bundschuh The session will focus on studies of hydrological, chemical, and biogeochemical processes controlling the fate of dissolved arsenic and other toxic
metals. Effects on public health and water management are also of interest.
International Development and the Geosciences. Jeffrey Greenberg, Michael D. Guebert Presentations on a wide variety of case studies demonstrating the practical application of geoscience to the global needs of people and their environ-
ment.
Sources, Transport, and Fate of Trace and Toxic Elements in the Environment. LeeAnn Munk, David T. Long, W. Berry Lyons Relevant research dealing with trace and potentially toxic elements in the environment. Basic and applied research topics on trace elements in wa-
ter, sediment, and rocks that relate to sources, transport and fate are encouraged.
Teaching about Hazards in the Geoscience Classroom. John R. McDaris Natural and environmental hazards are opportunities to get students interested in geoscience topics. This session encourages educators to share
successful strategies for addressing both the geoscience content and the societal factors involved.
A Healthy Society, Geosciences, and Natural Resources Catherine Skinner, Eric Cheney Resources figure markedly in the future of a rapidly increasing global population expanding their lifestyles. Complex health and economic consid-
erations created by such an expansion require cross-disciplinary exchange in order to benefit future cooperation.
Erionite: Mineralogy, Geology, Health Risks, and Public Policy. Bernhardt Saini-Eidukat, Ahmet Umran Dogan, Don Halterman A forum for geologists, mineralogists, and public health professionals to exchange current research results on the carcinogenic, fibrous zeolite erio-
nite.
Intersection of Geology and Health: Impacts of Geologic Materials on Public Health. Geoffrey S. Plumlee, Jean M. Morrison This session highlights the potential impacts of geologic materials (urban and natural soils, mine wastes, oil spills, smelter emissions, coal fly ash,
wildfire and volcanic ash, etc.) on public health.
Coal Combustion Products and Impacts on the Society. Avner Vengosh The impact of coal combustion products on the environment and society through interdisciplinary evaluation of the science of coal ash, its disposal
to the environment, and the social implications.
Climate, Water, and Health. Saugata Datta, Syed E. Hasan, Hatim Sharif, Deon van der Merwe The effects of drastic or abrupt climate changes on human and ecological health as they relate to water-quality issues.
Advances in Characterizing Sources and Release of Naturally Occurring Trace Elements to Aquatic Systems and Groundwa-
ter. Sarah L. Nicholas, Brandy M. Toner The session will focus on characterizing sources and mechanisms of release of naturally occurring trace elements to waters. We encourage abstracts
addressing elemental speciation and advancement in analytical techniques for trace-element concentrations in geologic matrices.
found that while one of the clays killed a broad spec-
trum of human pathogens (Haydel et al. 2008), the
other one enhanced bacterial growth.
Further work allowed identification of two more anti-
bacterial clays from the US that were compared to the
French clays; common clay minerals among them are
smectites hosting toxic metals in the interlayer and Fe
-bearing phases like pyrite.
The antibacterial agent seems to be related to transi-
tion metals stable at special geochemical conditions
controlled by the clay; in one of the clays Fe may
play a major role (Williams et al. 2011). Ferrous iron
has been shown to induce formation of deleterious
oxygen radicals that can damage proteins, membrane
lipids and nucleic acids (Imlay 1988, Kohansky et al.
2007, Cohn et al. 2010).
To date, my research has focused on determining the
antibacterial effectiveness of clays used medicinally
and in comparing their mineralogy and geochemical
properties with clays previously studied by my advi-
sor Dr. Lynda Williams (Williams et al. 2004, 2009,
2010, and Haydel et al. 2008). Compared samples
come from different clay deposits, mainly from North
and South America. One of the samples from South
America was recovered in the Amazon basin during
my undergraduate research project and it is valued
among the Uitoto indigenous society for its healing
properties.
Two new antibacterial clays effective against E. coli
and B.subtilis have been identified. Common mineral
phases include 2:1 minerals like mixed layers of illite
and smectite but Fe-bearing phases are not always
present. Recently identified clays may be acting by a
chemical or a physical mode of action. Chemical ac-
tion involves transfers of toxins from the clay to bac-
teria, while physical mode refer to adhesion to the
cell wall possibly causing suffocation, disruption,
tearing of the cell wall, etc. In subsequent stages, it is
possible for larger particles to enter the cell and de-
Clays are very common, widespread, materials and
the word ―clay‖ can be interpreted in different ways.
In a geological sense, clays are unconsolidated mate-
rials, weathering products, or the components of
rocks with average particle size less than 2µm. In a
mineralogical sense clays are hydrated aluminosili-
cates arranged in sets of tetrahedral and octahedral
layers stacked along the c-axis (Moore and Reynolds,
1997). The clay structure shown in Fig 1 is called 2:1
or TOT, because it is composed of 1 octahedral layer
between 2 tetrahedral layers. The interlayer space can
host water, cations and polar molecules that are
weakly bound, so they can be easily exchanged.
Clays also can bind ions on external surfaces and
crystal edges.
Clays have been traditionally used in medicine, aes-
thetics, and pharmaceutical preparations due to their
sorption and exchange capacities; however antibacte-
rial clays are far less common and there is a gap in
our understanding of what makes a clay antibacterial.
One of the earliest papers on antibacterial clays
(Stumpf 1889, cited in Reinbacher 2002), reported
that clay bandages dried wounds and ulcers, elimi-
nated bad odors and led to complete tissue regenera-
tion. More recently, Brunet de Corssou (2002) suc-
cessfully applied two different French clays poultices
to patients suffering from Buruli Ulcer, a disease
caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans, related to organ-
isms that cause leprosy and tuberculosis. Williams et
al. (2004) conducted a pilot study on the French clays
to give Brunet’s treatment a scientific basis. They
ANTIBACTERIAL CLAYS, WHAT IS THEIR SECRET? S.C. Londono, IMGA Colombian Chapter, PhD. Candidate, Arizona State University
ARTICLES
Page 15 Newsletter No. 18
Figure 1. Structure of
smectite clay minerals: An
octahedral layer (blue)
between 2 tetrahedral lay-
ers (red). The interlayer
space can host exchange-
able cations, water, or
organic molecules (green
spheres).
stroy it. Therefore, I will obtain images throughout
the antibacterial process using electronic microscopy
(SEM and TEM) and observe the interactions be-
tween clay particles and bacteria. It is also important
to accurately measure and compare particle and sur-
face properties. Then, physical and mineralogical
properties will be manipulated and samples screened
against bacteria to detect changes in antibacterial ac-
tion. Finally, using techniques from microbiology we
will establish the molecular response of bacteria, that
is, we will analyze gene expression to compare if tar-
geted genes are expressed when exposed to antibacte-
rial clay vs. non antibacterial clay. Gene expression
analysis will allow us to elucidate metabolic path-
ways involved. Preliminary results of the research
will be presented in the 4th International Medical Ge-
ology, Italy.
The clay realm is very diverse and complex; small
changes in composition or in stacking sequence can
generate another clay mineral with different proper-
ties and behavior. Understanding what makes a clay
antibacterial has proven to be a daunting task and
more than one mode of toxicity is likely to be found.
Results of the research can be used to prospect for
antibacterial clay deposits to produce synthetic clays
capable of fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
ANTIBACTERIAL CLAYS Cont.
Page 16 Newsletter No. 18
REFERENCES
Brunet de Courrsou, L. (2002). Study Group Report on Buruli Ulcer Treatment With Clay. 5th WHO Advisory Group Meeting on
Buruli Ulcer, Geneva, Switzerland. Cohn, C. A., Fisher, S. C., Brownawell, B. J., & Schoonen, M. A. (2010). Adenine oxidation by pyrite generated hydroxyl radicals.
Geochemical Transactions, 11(1), 2-8.
Haydel, S.E., Remenih, C.M., Williams, LB. (2008). Broad-spectrum in vitro antibacterial activities of clay minerals against antibi-
otic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, 61(2): 353-361
Imlay, J. J. A. (1988). Toxic DNA Damage by hydrogen peroxide through the Fenton reaction in vivo and in vitro. Science (New
York, N.Y.), 240(4852), 640-642.
Kohanski, M.A., Dwyer, D.J., Hayete, B., Lawrence, C.A., Collins, J.J. (2007). A common mechanism of cellular death induced by
bactericidal antibiotics. Cell: 130, 797-810
Moore, D. M., and Reynolds, R. C. (1997). X-ray diffraction and the identification and analysis of clay minerals. New York: Ox-
ford University Press.
Reinbacher W.R. (2002). Healing earths: The third leg of medicine 260 p
Williams, L. L. B. (2009). Bentonite, bandaids, and borborygmi. Elements (Quebec), 5(2), 99-104.
Williams, L.B, Haydel, S.E. (2010) Evaluation of the Medicinal use of clay minerals as antibacterial agents. International Geology
Reviews: 52,745-70
Williams, L.B., Haydel, S.E., Giese, R.F. and Eberl, D.D. (2008). Chemical and mineralogical characteristics of French green clays
used for healing. Clays and Clay Minerals, 56(4), 437-452.
Williams, L. B., Holland, M., Eberl, D. D., Brunet, T., and de Courrsou, L. B. (2004). Killer clays! Natural Antibacterial Clay Miner-
als. Mineralogical Society of London; 139, 3-8.
Williams, L.B., Metge, D.W., Eberl, D.D., Harvey, R.W., Turner, A.G., Prapaipong, P., Poret-Peterson, A.T. (2011) What makes a
natural clay antibacterial?. Environmental Science and Technology (In Press)
Ethnogeology is the study of cultural-based under-
standing, assessment, and use of geological knowl-
edge; in other words, the study of how people from a
given culture think about rocks, natural processes,
landforms, etc. Ethnogeologists are interested in
learning alternative cultural-based explanations for
the same natural phenomena we observe. But it does
not end there. Ethnogeologists want to understand the
underlying structure of that knowledge and the cul-
tural framework in which it makes sense. To do this
they need to draw methods from anthropology and to
collaborate with professionals in this area. The goal
of ethnogeology is not to validate, approve or refute
folk knowledge; it is to learn how people think about
geology in their own terms, categories, and concepts.
Contributions of ethnogeology can be of academic
and practical interest. Anthropologists may be inter-
ested in the relationship between geology and culture
asking questions like: what is the place of rocks in a
culture? Or, how has the geology of an area influ-
enced the beliefs, behaviors, costumes, stories, and
everyday affairs of the people living there? Earth sci-
entists can learn more about the geology of an area
that has been occupied by indigenous tribes for cen-
turies or even thousands of years; for example learn-
ing about geological events recorded in myths and
legends (Vitaliano, 2007,1973). Earth sciences are
enriched when we study the perceptions of our disci-
pline by others and consider new ways of grouping or
identifying geology components or processes. Ethno-
geology also serves educational purposes; it is at the
core of place-based education, a strategy that has
been successfully applied in geosciences (Williams &
Semken, 2011) and that can help to improve cultural
sustainability and cultural preservation (Semken &
Brandt, 2010).
At this point the reader may be wondering what does
all this have to do with medical geology? Well, prac-
tical applications of ethnogeology include the possi-
bility of finding applications of mineral resources in
medicine or environmental management to address
public health concerns. Two projects of the IMGA
Colombian chapter have been conducted using the
dual ethnographic-geologic approach; leading to
identification of antibacterial clays in the Amazon
basin. Of course, the inhabitants of the area have
known and used these clays for healing purposes
since time immemorial. Modern science is only now
recognizing these age-old, important uses of common
geologic materials.
Employing geologic materials (i.e., water, rocks,
soils, sediments, minerals and mineraloids) with heal-
ing purposes is a very old practice that has been
traced back to Homo Erectus and H. Neardenthalen-
sis (Carretero, 2002). Ancient civilizations included
geologic materials among its medicinal resources, the
most common being: metals (i.e., gold, silver, cop-
per, mercury, iron); different salts (sea salt), materials
(mud or clay and crystals) and even places like hot
springs or lakes. In the rest of this note I invite you to
take a brief trip through history, space, time and
medical geology.
The Ayurveda is an ancient medical system from In-
dia that has been practiced for more than 5000 years;
it includes preparations called bhasmas, in which
herbs and metals are mixed and used to treat chronic
ailments (Prakash, 1997). Kumar et al. (2005) re-
ported the geochemistry of 20 bhasmas, common
metals in bhasmas are gold, silver, zinc, iron and cop-
per.
In ancient Egypt, clays were used in the mummifica-
tion process and in cosmetics (Carretero, 2002). In
Rome, Pliny the Elder, born in AD 23, describes in
his book, "Natural History", the properties of sea salt,
gems and metals (Bostock et al. 1855). In Greece and
Rome, bathing in thermal waters was considered to
be beneficial for several maladies, especially for
rheumatic and urogenital diseases (van Tubergen &
van Linden, 2002). Aristotle and Hippocrates devel-
oped classification systems for different types of
―Medicinal earths‖ (Carretero, 2002). Dioscorides’
fundamental work: De Materia Medica, describes 90
minerals used in medicine (Dioscorides Pedanius &
Beck, 2005). Paracelsus, considered the father of
pharmacy, used substances reported in Chinese an-
ETHNOGEOLOGY AND MEDICAL GEOLOGY S.C. Londono, IMGA Colombian Chapter, Arizona State University
Page 17 Newsletter No. 18
cient pharmacopeias where more than 18 minerals
and elements to prolong life and delay aging are re-
ported (Peng-Yoke, 1968).
As for the observations of travelers and explorers,
Marco Polo witnessed the consumption of ―Pink
Earth‖ by groups of Arab pilgrims to cure fever
(Carretero et al.? 2006) and during his travel to the
Orinoco basin (Venezuela), Alexander Von Hum-
boldt observed the Otomacs’ practice of eating allu-
vial clay to withstand famine (Humboldt, 1853). This
is an early report of something that would later be
recognized as a regional trend: indigenous cultures
present throughout America used geological materi-
als for healing purposes. From the First Nations of
Vancouver (Hauser, 1951), through the plains and
deserts in Arizona (Johns, 1986), from the Aztecs and
Maya (de Sahagún, 1985), to the Andean peoples;
from the heights of Titicaca (Patiño, 1984) to the low
plains of the Amazon (Ballesteros, 2010, Londoño &
Garzón, 2007, Bueno, 1933; Gumilla, 1741) and all
the way down to Argentina (Browman, 2004) all the
cultures were aware of and utilized geological re-
sources to prevent and cure diseases from the body
and spirit (we may need to remember that what our
concepts of illness and healing not always match the
indigenous definition).
During the post-conquest period of evangelization,
some Franciscan priests stood out for their expertise
in medicine, their knowledge nurtured by the prac-
tices of Indians and African slaves. An anonymous
priest wrote a full pharmacopeia in the XVIII cen-
tury, it was found in the Provincial Archives of Bo-
gota and published by Diaz & Mantilla (2002). It in-
cludes references to different classes of earth and
soils that were ingested for medicinal purposes, the
use of metals mixed with plant products; and the
practice of burying the patient for several days
(leaving his head outside) for the earth to "absorb"
the disease.
Had the Franciscan priest been an ethnogeologist he
would have reported the rock, soil or sediment name
followed by a complete description; characterized the
outcrop, mapped the area and constructed a cross sec-
tion, or something similar. He also would have in-
cluded the cultural framework. Not to demerit his
wonderful job, nobody was even thinking about that
in the XVIII century, but now that science has ad-
vanced with wonderful possibilities for new discover-
ies in multidisciplinary studies. I think is time we join
ethnobotanists and ethnobiologist, and work towards
a solid ethnogeology science that can bring further
development for medical geology as well as other
relevant, current issues.
REFERENCES
Ballesteros, R. A. (2010). Caracterizacion geoquimica y fitoquimica de arcillas con propiedades antibacterianas de Araracuara,
Caqueta - Colombia. Unpublished Bsc, Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Browman, D. L. (2004). Tierras comestibles de la cuenca del Titicaca: Geofagia en la prehistoria boliviana. Estudios Atacameños,
28, pp. 133-141.
Bueno, R. (1933). Apuntes sobre la provincia misionera de Orinoco e indígenas de su territorio. Caracas: Tipografia Americana.
Carretero, M. I., Gomes, C. S. F., and Tateo, F.,. (2006). Clays and human health. In F. Bergaya, F., Theng, B. K. G., and Lagaly, G.,
eds (Ed.), Handbook of clay science (pp. 717-741) Elsevier, Ltd.
Carretero, M. I. (2002). Clay minerals and their beneficial effects upon human health. A review. Applied Clay Science, 21(3-4), 155-
163.
de Sahagun, B. (1985). Historia general de las cosas de nueva España [Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España.Selections].
Barcelona: Tusquets.
Díaz Piedrahita, S, Mantilla L. (2002). In Guadalupe (Ed.), La terapéutica en el nuevo reino de granada : Un recetario franciscano
del siglo XVIII. Bogota: Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Academia de Historia.
Dioscorides Pedanius, & Beck, L. Y. (2005). De materia medica [De materia medica.English]. Hildesheim; New York: Olms-
Weidmann.
Gumilla, J. (1944) El Orinoco ilustrado. Tomo I. Bilbioteca popular de cultura colombiana. 360 p.
Hauser E.A. (1951). Kisameet bay clay deposit [British Columbia]. (pp. 178-190)
ETHNOGEOLOGY AND MEDICAL GEOLOGY Cont.
Page 18 Newsletter No. 18
REFERENCES, ETHNOGEOLOGY CONT.
Humboldt, A. v. In Bonpland Aimè (Ed.), Personal narrative of travels to the equinoctial regions of America, during the years 1799-
1804.
Johns, T. (1986): Detoxification Function Of Geophagy And Domestication Of The Potato- J. Chem. Ecol. (12), pp. 635–646
Kumar,A., Nair,A.G.C., Reddy,A.V.R, Garg,A.N. (2006). Bhasmas: Unique ayurvedic Metallic–Herbal preparations, chemical char-
acterization. Biological Trace Element Research, 109(3), 231-254.
Londoño, S.C. and Garzon N. (2007). Caracterizacion geoquimica preliminar de las arcillas con potencial de uso medicinal presen-
tes en Araracuara,Caqueta, Colombia.. Unpublished Bsc, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, COL.
Patiño, V. (2005). La alimentación en colombia y en los países vecinos. Historia de la cultura material en la américa equinoccial.
vol 1 (2nd ed., p. 5) Universidad del Valle.
Pliny (the Elder.), Bostock J, Riley H.T. (1855). The natural history of Pliny, Vol 1. In B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion
Court, Fleet Street. (Ed.) 544 p .
Prakash B. (1997). Use of metals in ayurvedic medicine. Indian Journal History Science, 32, 1-27.
Peng Yoke, H. (1958) Alchemy on Stones and Minerals in Chinese Pharmacopoeias, Chung Chi Journal, 7,155-170
Semken, S., Brandt, E. (2010). Cultural studies and environmentalism implications of sense of place and place-based education for
ecological integrity and cultural sustainability in diverse places. In D. Tippins, M. Mueller, M. van Eijck, & J. Adams (Eds.), Cul-
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ETHNOGEOLOGY AND MEDICAL GEOLOGY Cont.
Page 19 Newsletter No. 18
CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NEWSLETTER
Please send contributions to the editor, as much before the deadline as possible, preferably to the editor’s home
address:
Dr. David C. Elliott, Newsletter Editor
3507 Boulton Rd. NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 1M5, Canada.
Home (403) 220 1853 Work (403) 297 4008
[email protected] [email protected]
Editorial policy was published in Newsletter 17 and can also be found on the IAMG website.
One interesting aspect of medical geology is bottled
water. This is an increasingly growing business but
what about the health aspects? We know that certain
brands exceed the action levels of fluorine of WHO,
others contain too much of different heavy metals.
Therefore a new broad study of these waters, from 38
different countries has been carried out, the first
study of its kind.
EuroGeoSurveys has now published the European
Atlas of bottled water (Figure 1, see back cover of
the Newsletter) - around 1800 bottles examined. The
scientists have found an enormous natural variation
of many elements, including arsenic and uranium.
As of the start of the year 2010, 1916 "mineral water"
brands are officially registered in Europe. Bottled
water (usually derived from groundwater) is rapidly
developing into the main drinking water supply for
the general population in large parts of the continent.
A new comprehensive guide to European groundwa-
ter prepared on the basis of analyses of bottled water
will allow consumers to make a conscious choice of
the best product for their health and taste. The new
atlas, ―Geochemistry of European Bottled Water‖,
presented on Wednesday 15th September 2010 by
EuroGeoSurveys, the organisation of 32 European
national Geological Surveys, provides the chemical
composition of 1785 bottled water samples, divided
into 1247 different sources at 848 locations, from 38
European countries. EuroGeoSurveys geochemists
analyzed the chemical composition of European bot-
tled water from a geological point of view. The sam-
ples were purchased in supermarkets during 2008 and
subsequently analyzed in one single laboratory. The
survey is important, since more than 1900 brands of
bottled water are currently registered in Europe and
the market is rapidly expanding.
The book edited by Clemens Reimann, Geological
Survey of Norway (NGU), and Manfred Birke, Fed-
eral Institute for Geosciences and the Natural Re-
sources (BGR) in Germany, is the result of the mul-
tiannual work of the EuroGeoSurveys’ Geochemistry
Expert Group, an international pool of top level
European specialists in the field of regional geo-
chemistry in cooperation with a number of hydro-
geologists. Some bottled water samples exceeded the
water norms for parameters, like arsenic, barium,
fluoride, nitrates and nitrites and selenium. More-
over, the data shows the need for further analysis and
perhaps a common action level for uranium. As an
example, the highest amount of the rare earth ele-
ments were found in Norway, the highest uranium
value in the Czech Republic and the highest nitrate
value in a tap water from Slovakia. Overall, however,
the editors say that the quality of the analyzed bottled
water samples was surprisingly good. Only very few
samples exceeded drinking water action levels. The
editors also point out that given the large natural
variation for some elements deficiency problems may
play an as large or larger role than toxicity.
The influence of geology in determining element
concentrations in bottled water can be observed for a
significant number of elements, including: high val-
ues of chromium (Cr), clearly related to the occur-
rence of ophiolites, beryllium (Be), caesium (Cs),
germanium (Ge), potassium (K), lithium (Li) and ru-
bidium (Rb). showing unusually high values in areas
underlain by Hercynian granites. while high values of
aluminium (Al), arsenic (As), fluorine (F), potassium
(K), rubidium (Rb) and silicon (Si) are related to the
occurrence of alkaline volcanic rocks. A further key
observation is that knowledge of geology alone is
inadequate to predict the hydrochemistry of bottled
water: natural variation is enormous, usually three to
four and for some elements, up to seven orders of
magnitude. Such variation may reflect, among other
factors, groundwater residence time and mixing with
deep brackish formation waters. It has also been
found that bottle materials can have an influence on
bottled water chemistry. For antimony (Sb), leaching
from the bottle material is so serious that the results
for bottled water cannot be used as an indication of
natural concentrations in groundwater. Some ele-
ments, as observed in the bottled water, are clearly
not representative of typical, shallow, fresh ground-
BOTTLED WATERS –A EUROPEAN STUDY FROM 38 COUNTRIES WITH IMPLICATIONS ON MEDICAL GEOLOGY Olle Selinus, Linneaus University, Kalmar, Sweden
Page 20 Newsletter No. 18
water; rather, they tend to exhibit unusually high con-
centrations, typical for "mineral water", examples
are: boron (B), beryllium (Be), bromine (Br), cae-
sium (Cs), fluorine (F), germanium (Ge), lithium
(Li), rubidium (Rb), tellurium (Te), and zirconium
(Zr). Very few analysed samples (in general less than
1%) returned values exceeding maximum admissible
concentrations (MACs) for "mineral water", as de-
fined by the European Commission.
A number of bottled waters also show elevated val-
ues of antimony, which has been proved to leach
from bottle materials, especially from ―soft‖ PET
bottles. In this case, however, the researchers make it
clear that all leaching values were well below the re-
spective drinking water action levels. Many more ele-
ments were shown to leach from the bottle material
into the water, including lead from glass bottles. Nev-
ertheless all values leaching from bottle materials
were well below the drinking water action levels.
―As a matter of fact‖, the editors add, ―the range in
concentration of chemical elements in bottled water
represents the range naturally found in European
groundwater. The new results from this harmonised
overall European survey show an enormous natural
variation (up to 7 orders of magnitude for some ele-
ments, including uranium) of many elements in water
at the European scale‖. But the main message from
the atlas is really that geology influences the quality
of groundwater and therefore of bottled water. The
atlas provides access to this knowledge.
The bottled water study, developed by the European
Geological Surveys, which are responsible for
groundwater surveys and monitoring in most Euro-
pean countries, demonstrates that bottled water may
be used as a proxy for groundwater composition.
―The chemical composition of bottled water is
strongly influenced by the geology and geochemistry
of the rocks from which it is derived. The bottled wa-
ter data set is thus used to provide a first impression
of the variability and regional distribution of ground-
water chemistry at a continental scale, Reimann and
Birke say. The bottled water data are compared to
European surface water, tap water and Norwegian
bedrock groundwater and it is surprising how similar
the four water types are for many elements‖.
All the data and results are presented in the book,
with a CD-ROM containing the original data sets. All
the analyses are included and is an important open
source for further studies by anyone interested. The
book also presents a review of the legal framework
for bottled water sold in the European Union. It pro-
vides a comprehensive compilation of current drink-
ing water action levels in Europe and the values rec-
ommended by the WHO, FAO and the USEPA.
Much information on many elements can be found on
the CD. Just to give one example of the vast informa-
tion, I want to mention lithium. Lithium has been
found to be a factor influencing suicide behavior and
mortality rates. Although this relationship is not fully
understood, lithium has become known for its benefi-
cial psychosomatic effects and is used extensively as
a treatment. There is a growing interest in the ques-
tion of if there could be any link between the lithium
content in drinking water and psychosomatic effects.
One study has been undertaken in USA (see IMGA
Newsletter No. 11). Other studies are going on in Ja-
pan and elsewhere. In this respect it could be interest-
ing just to look at this on the European level using
the new data of bottled waters and also linking it to
the FOREGS atlas of Europe.
It is known that suicide rates are higher in Northern
than in Southern Europe. The reasons could be many
but one interesting fact is that looking at the map of
bottled mineral waters (Figure 2) and also the
FOREGS map of stream water in Europe (Figure 3)
we can see that the lithium contents are higher in
southern Europe than in northern Europe. Is there any
relevance? We do not know, but it shows that there is
much research to be done in medical geology and one
of the tools is these extensive unique geochemical
databases which in many cases are free for use.
BOTTLED WATERS Cont.
Page 21 Newsletter No. 18
BOTTLED WATERS Cont.
Page 22 Newsletter No. 18
Figure 2.
Lithium in bottled waters
BOTTLED WATERS Cont.
Page 23 Newsletter No. 18
REFERENCES: BOTTLED WATER
Source of this article: EuroGeoSurveys and Geochemistry of European Bottled Water
Ed.: Clemens Reimann; Manfred Birke, 2010, Bonntrager Science Publishers. Obtainable from:
http://www.schweizerbart.de/publications/detail/isbn/9783443010676/Geochemistry-of-European-Bottled-Water.
Information can also be found under www.medicalgeology.org – Medical geology – Tools
Figure 3.
Lithium in Stream Wa-
ters
Figure 1: Bottled Waters