SHORT COURSES on METALS, HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

SHORT COURSES ON MEDICAL GEOLOGY

For a complete list of short courses press HERE.

Application form for having a short course

Evaluation form for short courses

PROGRAMS, REPORTS, GENERAL INFORMATION, PHOTOS

Zambia June 20011 (PHOTOS)

Chile February 2002 (PHOTOS)

Russia 2002

Japan November 2002 / Program (PHOTOS)

Lithuania 26-28 May 2003 (PHOTOS)

Edinburgh September 2003 (PHOTOS)

Brazil 13-17 October 2003 (PHOTOS)

Australia, 1-3 December 2003 , Final program (PHOTOS)

Malaysia December 2003 / Opening speech (PHOTOS)

Hungary 17-18 May 2004 (PHOTOS)

Canada October 2004 (PHOTOS)

Australia (Perth) November-December 2004 (PHOTOS)

India, Lucknow December 2004

Romania May 5-8 2005(PHOTOS)

Argentina May 26-27 2005 English Spanish (PHOTOS)

Uruguay May 28-31 2005 Information in Spanish (PHOTOS)

Brazil June 2-4 2005 Information in Portugese (PHOTOS)


8th Annual Force Health Protection Conference, Louisville, Kentucky , August 2005

Egypt, 26-27 September 2005(PHOTOS)

Turkey September 29-30 2005 (PHOTOS)

Ireland October 24-26 2005 http://www.gsi.ie/activities/medicalgeology/GeosciencehealthBr.pdf (PHOTOS)

Sweden October 27-28 (PHOTOS)

Puerto Rico 14-18 November 2005 (PHOTOS)

Lisboa, Portugal, May 21 2006

Aveiro Portugal, May 25-27 2006

Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 6 2006

Beijing, China, September 24 2006 (PHOTOS)

BanglaDesh November 27-30 2006 (cancelled)

Montevideo, Uruguay May 2007

Mexico 11-13 June 2007 (PHOTOS)

Atibaia, Brazil October 21 2007 (PHOTOS) REPORT

Cyprus 12 February 2008 (PHOTOS) Banner Newspaper article

Norway, Oslo at 33IGC August 10 2008

Lima, Peru 26-28 November 2008

Requests for short courses have been received from Jamaica, Kenya, Taiwan, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Pakistan, India, Spain, Russia, Poland, Thailand and Indonesia and other countries.

A series of short courses on metals, health and the environment are carried out all around the world. The leaders are Jose Centeno, Bob Finkelman and Olle Selinus. In addition to these, local scientists are also invited to demonstrate medical geology work going on in their respective regions.

METALS, HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT, SHORT COURSES IN MEDICAL GEOLOGY

In recent years, considerable interest has been developed in assessing the risk posed by metals and trace elements in environment quality and human health. It has been recognized for many years that large areas of the globe contain naturally endemic areas related to trace element excess, deficiency, or chronic poisoning. Many of these health-related problems have been associated with geological sources (e.g., contaminated drinking water, coal use, volcanic eruptions, dust, etc). For example, the occurrence of endemic goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) and cretinism have both been associated with iodine deficiency in several areas of the globe including China, South America, and Africa. Selenium deficiency in some parts of China, have been related with cases of muscular dystrophy as well as the induction of endemic cardiomyopathy. Excess of fluorine in drinking water has also been associated with endemic dental and skeletal fluorosis in several geographical areas including China, Africa, Mexico, and Chile. Well-documented cases of chronic arsenic poisoning from consumption of contaminated drinking water are known in southern Taiwan, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, China, and recently in West Bengal and Bangladesh. Accordingly, an understanding of the nature and magnitude of environmental and geological sources is a prerequisite for developing approaches in assessing the risk posed by metals and trace elements.

Moreover, understanding the potential environmental and health effects of metals is of critical importance in order to: 1) ensure that metals are produced, used and disposed of in environmentally sound ways; 2) to minimize exposure to toxic levels by the development and implementation of scientifically sound environmental regulations; and 3) to develop appropriate analytical techniques for the study and determination of low-levels of toxic metals and metal species. Furthermore, because the potential environmental and health hazards of metals are strongly dependent on the different physical and chemical forms (i.e., modes of occurrence), a thorough and sound evaluation of metal “speciation” is needed to evaluate the situation in which potential adverse effect can occur.

This Course on Medical Geology and Toxic Trace Elements is designed by the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), the Commission on Geological Sciences and Environmental Planning (COGEOENVIRONMENT), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Working Group on Medical Geology (IWGMG), the International Association for Medical Geology (IAMG), and the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU); to address current topics and research opportunities on medical geology, environmental toxicology, geochemistry, and health impacts of trace elements, metal ions and metal compounds. The Course is intended for health professionals, earth scientists, and environmental scientists working in research, education, consultation, assessment, and regulation of chemically induced hazards in general with particular emphasis on toxic metals and metal species. The Course is also intended as a professional update for environmental scientists, toxicologists, chemical analysts, environmental health care professionals, industrial hygienists, geologists, ecologists, hydrologists, regulatory authorities, and those who are working for protection of the environment and the study of metal induced diseases. The first day of the Course describes issues dealing with environmental toxicology, natural and anthropogenic contributions of metals, risk assessment and environmental regulations. The second day discusses issues concerning the role of metals on the development of disease (i.e., environmental pathology), and presents an overview of state-of-the-art analytical techniques for the study and characterization of toxic metals, minerals and metal species. The second day is also dedicated to a discussion of special topics, current research opportunities, and a discussion on environmental, geographical and health issues associated with the emerging discipline of Medical Geology.

Scope and Purpose:

Metal ions occur naturally in rocks, soils, gases, and waters in both harmless and harmful forms and concentrations. Natural concentrations can be extraordinarily high and have caused serious health problems. Metals are important in environmental health and on the study of human diseases (pathology) because of their potential toxic effects to one or more organs. Exposure to toxic metal ions may occur via three principle routes: percutaneous absorption, ingestion, or inhalation. Dermal toxicity results from local tissue responses through direct contact of the metal with skin, or alternatively, may represent a manifestation of systemic toxicity following ingestion or inhalation. Allergic contact dermatitis induced by nickel is an example of a local tissue response. The adverse cutaneous reactions resulting from chronic ingestion or inhalation of arsenical compounds exemplify systemic toxicity. A variety of toxic pathology responses in human tissues and organs (i.e., skin, liver, heart, kidney) associated with both acute and chronic exposures to metals are described. The aim of the Seminar is to provide examples where both deficiencies of trace elements as well as toxic exposures of metals may be involved in physiologic changes and the development of human diseases. We discuss the impacts of metal ions and trace elements on human health as illustrated with examples of arsenic poisoning from contaminated water in the Bengal Delta (India and Bangladesh) and Taiwan, as well from coal combustion in southwest China. Studies associated with lung cancer risk in an occupational cohort of chromate production workers are described. An overview of clinical aspects of toxic metal exposures including discussions of essentiality and clinical manifestations are presented.

The Seminars are intended for geologists, ecologists, chemists, biologists, occupational and environmental scientists, medical professionals, toxicologists, epidemiologists, pathologists and any other health, environmental and geo-sciences professional with interest on the effect of toxic metal ion species on environmental and human health. An important aim of the Seminars are to provide the opportunity for forming contacts and networks between professionals working in different areas of the field.

Short Course Leaders are Dr. José A. Centeno, Chief, Biophysical Toxicology Division, United States Armed Forces Institute of Pathology , Washington DC and Dr. Robert B. Finkelman, Coal Quality Coordinator, Research Scientist, United States Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA and dr Olle Selinus, Geological Survey of Sweden

All programs of the courses can be seen above.