The relation between geology and medicine is quite intriguing and can be dated back to the times of Hippocrates and Aristotle. For centuries man has looked up to Earth for the numerous answers he seeks concerning his own body, an amalgamation of elements once sheathed in Earth. To his surprise man has found that geology is both a poison and remedy to his health. In my paper I present the two sides of the geologic coin in the world of medicine.

The rocks below our feet can be deemed culprit for a number of health related issues. How many times have we heard that, ‘We are what we eat’? The source of human nutrition is cultivated from the soil. Farmers throughout the globe consider the soil as the source of their family’s bread, however dissolved material, both beneficial and harmful, get incorporated into the ground.
Bunnell’s article, ‘Medical Geology: a globally emerging discipline’, discusses the “Endemic diseases correlative with soil deficiencies in selenium, the juvenile cardiomyopathy “Keshan Disease”, and the iodine deficiency disorders including goiter and myxedematous cretinism.” (Bunnell)

Another area of geology I would be focusing on is groundwater; groundwater as we know is the largest reserve of fresh water to humans. So how can water something essential to human life be harmful? The answer is contamination. Contaminants in water, even present in trace amounts, can be deemed culprit for delayed brain growth, cancer and many other problems. As stated in Robert Cook‘s article, ‘Geology crosses over into medicine’, “The story of contamination of drinking water began more than 500 million years ago. As rainwater makes its way down through the cracks in rocks, it dissolves some of the minerals and, in certain conditions, releases contaminants into the water supply.” (Cook) Arsenic being one of the most common and dangerous contaminants present in the water, in the article ‘Medical Geology: a globally emerging discipline’, “Is related to general health effects including cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease, developmental anomalies, neurologic and neurobehavioral disorders, diabetes, hearing loss, portal fibrosis, hematologic disorders (anemia, leukopenia and eosinophilia) and cancers.” (Bunnell)

So who is to blame for this? Mother Nature alone? I don’t think so. Humans can’t be ignored for any blame. According to the movie Gasland by Josh Fox, it is the greed for money that blinds the corporate giants from the harm they are subjecting to the environment. It is the hunger for profits that sidelines human health and causes for unethical behavior like injection of toxic chemicals in the ground. In present day United States of America, hydrofracking is one of the major sources for contamination of groundwater and poses a great threat to human health. A 2011 article in the journal, Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, examined that the potential health impacts of oil and gas drilling in relation to the chemicals used during drilling, fracking, processing, and delivery of natural gas. “The paper compiled a list of 632 chemicals (an incomplete list due to trade secrecy exemptions) identified from drilling operations throughout the U.S.A. Their research found that 75% of the chemicals could affect the skin, eyes, and other sensory organs, and the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. Approximately 40–50% could affect the brain/nervous system, immune and cardiovascular systems, and the kidneys; 37% could affect the endocrine system; and 25% could cause cancer and mutations.” (Potential…Montana)

These problems are not only limited to developed and industrialized nations, developing nations too face issues due to geologic factors. In Sri Lanka, excessive presence of fluoride in the water has been linked to teeth and bone damage. However these problems are not limited to a particular region. It is true that the world is becoming smaller and smaller, according to the article ‘Geology crosses over into medicine’ in the New York Times, “Dust kicked up by storms in drought-ridden sections of North Africa travels across the Atlantic and up through the Northeast United States, affecting air quality and potentially carrying bacteria.” The article, states that “The primary source of pollution at Oregon's Crater Lake National Park is dust clouds from Asia, which travel across the Pacific Ocean, according to Kevin Perry, an assistant professor of meteorology at the University of Utah. The same winds carry the pollution of North America to Europe, and Europe's pollution to Asia, Perry said.” (Cook) It would be true to say that, "We are all swimming in the same fishbowl."

On the other hand, the therapeutic use of geological elements can be traced back to ancient Egyptian times. Many herbal medicine practitioners in ancient India and other civilizations would have sworn at geologic elements such as minerals, clay as the cure for all our ailments. Their belief is that if the root cause of all our sufferings can be found around us then their cure is also not too far, even beneath us. A large number of herbal medicines even today compromise of elements present in the earth. The medicinal clay “terra sigillata”, is still in use today and may have been the first patented medicine.

One of the multi-billion dollar booming industries in the field of medical geology today is dermatology. Makeup, the ‘crowning stroke’ to any fashion statement, has become an integral tool for the fairer sex. ‘Doubting a women’s awareness of Chanel, Dior or L’Oreal is like doubting a priest’s awareness of the bible’. If you come across a cosmetic product on the aisles, it will not be surprising to find elements of the earth stated on the ingredients list. According to Donna Boreck and Liane Kadnuck’s, geologists at the USBM Denver Research Center, Colorado, article, ‘Makeup—A Wealth of Minerals’, “One of the first ingredients listed in eye shadow is usually talc - a magnesium silicate mineral.” (Boreck, Liane) And the list does not stop here. Julia Layton’s article, Is Mineral Makeup Really Natural, draws light on the various minerals used in makeup, “Minerals like zinc oxide, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, mica and ultramarine are ground up into fine particles and used to make powders and foundations.” (Discovery Fit and Health) So what is the main reason this mineral makeup has got women across the globe all excited? Well, the answer is ‘purity’ and ‘natural beauty’. The products are natural and therefore nonirritating and healthier than traditional cosmetics. And when it comes to makeup, color is the ‘name of the game’. It would be fair to say that like an artist uses various paints on the blank canvas to add color to his art, it is the various minerals that constitute the varying shades of makeup products. According to ‘Makeup—A Wealth of Minerals’, “It is the iron oxides in the cosmetics that give it the red, orange, yellow, brown, and black tones. While, chrome oxides are used for greens; manganese violet for purple; ground lapis lazuli may be added to makeup for blue.” (Boreck, Liane) This color characteristic of geologic minerals also extends to a variety of other fields. Ever wondered what’s behind the tempting color of your favorite M&M’s candy. Surprisingly it is a mineral too, titanium dioxide. Chocolates and geology! Now that’s something worth looking into in class.

The usefulness of geology is not only limited to vanity, but is also present in healthcare products. Some of the primal medicines known to man were a product of rocks and minerals. Robert B. Finkelman, in his article, Health Benefits of Geologic Materials and Geologic Processes, reputes that, “Elements such as arsenic (Trisenox), mercury (mercurochrome, dental amalgam), boron (boric acid), selenium (dandruff shampoos), sulfur (drugs), barium (enemas, X-radiography), bismuth (Pepto Bismol), zinc (skin ointments), are the active ingredients in various drugs and pharmaceuticals. Some of the more exotic elements such as cesium, lithium, indium, samarium, gold, platinum, titanium and gallium, are used in an ever increasing array of sophisticated medical treatments and products.” (Finkelman) One of the most common minerals known to man, salt can also be used to treat skin diseases. Even our toothpaste has a mineral called fluoride that helps prevent tooth decay. So the next time you are passing the aisles at Shaw’s or Wal-Mart, give it a thought that there is sea of geologic minerals that you never knew existed in a supermarket.

Therefore I conclude by saying that geology plays a crucial role in human health whether that role may be positive one or negative one.

Works Cited

Boreck, Donna, and Liane Kadnuck. "Makeup- A Wealth of Minerals." USBM Denver Research Center, Colorado

Bunnell, J.E. . "Medical Geology: a globally emerging discipline." Geologica Acta 5 (2007): 274. Print.

Cook, Gareth. "Geology Crosses over into Medicine." New York Times-Healthscience

Discovery Fit and Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .

Finkelman, Robert B. "Health Benefits of Geologic Materials and Geologic Processes." Environmental Research and Public Health December (2006): 339. Print.

Gasland. Dir. Josh Fox. Perf. Josh Fox. Docurama Films :, 2010. DVD.

Potential Health and Environmental Effects of Hydrofracking in the Williston Basin, Montana. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. .