Medical Geology

Book excerpt: Geology, one of the basic natural sciences, is proving to be of outstanding importance in solving problems relating to: - agriculture - exploitation of the Earth's mineral resources - environmental issues - soil preservation - water - energy and other resources - protection against natural disasters (landslides, floods, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes) as well as human health. The main objective of the book Medical Geology: Effects of Geological Environments on Human Health is to show how the geological environment affects human health and to explore preventative methods for improvement.This monograph consists of the following five segments: - Introduction - Geological and other factors and their influence on the human health - Subject, tasks and methods of geomedical discipline - Regional medical geology - Applied medical geology The topics covered in this book will be of interest to a wide circle of readers, including geologists, doctors, biologists, ecologists, planners and many others who are dedicated to the quality and protection of human health.