{"id":36170,"date":"2020-05-31T09:19:27","date_gmt":"2020-05-31T09:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/?post_type=research_project&#038;p=36170"},"modified":"2024-03-05T15:35:23","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T15:35:23","slug":"medical-geochemistry","status":"publish","type":"research_project","link":"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geochemistry\/","title":{"rendered":"Medical geology"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t\t<section class=\"hero-section hero-section-with-social\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero-info-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hero-info\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1>Medical geology<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>BGS Research<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"social-wrap social-wrap-inline-them\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"sea-background-f\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>Share this article<\/span><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geochemistry\/\"><span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span class=\"hidden\">Facebook<\/span><\/span><\/a><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Medical%20geology&#038;url=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geochemistry\/\"><span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span class=\"hidden\">Twitter<\/span><\/span><\/a><a   onclick=\"javascript:void( (function() {var e=document.createElement('script' );e.setAttribute('type','text\/javascript' );e.setAttribute('charset','UTF-8' );e.setAttribute('src','\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinmarklet.js?r='+Math.random()*99999999);document.body.appendChild(e)})());\"  href=\"javascript:void(0);\"><span class=\"icon-pinterest\"><span class=\"hidden\">Pinterest<\/span><\/span><\/a><a target=\"_blank\"  href=\"https:\/\/wa.me?text=https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geochemistry\/\"><span class=\"icon-whatsapp\"><span class=\"hidden\">WhatsApp<\/span><\/span><\/a><a   href=\"mailto:?subject=Medical%20geology&#038;body=Medical%20geology%20is%20the%20study%20of%20the%20relationships%20between%20geoenvironmental%20factors%20and%20the%20health%20of%20plants,%20animals%20and%20humans.%20%20(https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geochemistry\/)\"><span class=\"icon-mail\"><span class=\"hidden\">Email<\/span><\/span><\/a><a href=\"#\" data-copy=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geochemistry\/\" class=\"copy-url-on-click\"><span class=\"icon-link\"><span class=\"hidden\">Copy Link<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-bgs-blocks-content-container content-section\"><div class=\"container\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-12\"><figure  class=\"img-wrap\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/P641028.jpg\" data-toggle=\"lightbox\" data-footer=\"&lt;p&gt;Handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer being used for metal contaminant determination in waste soil. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-gallery=\"gallery_41122\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/P641028-150x150.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur\" alt=\"A handheld monitoring device is being pressed against a pile of soil and gravel\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/P641028.jpg\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"caption \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"caption-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/bgs\/img\/info-caption.svg\" alt=\"Information icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"caption-text\"><p>Handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer being used for metal contaminant determination in waste soil. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"expand-box expand-box-top\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/P641028.jpg\" data-toggle=\"lightbox\" data-footer=\"&lt;p&gt;Handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer being used for metal contaminant determination in waste soil. BGS \u00a9 UKRI.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-gallery=\"gallery_41122\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/themes\/bgs\/img\/expand.svg\" alt=\"Expand icon\"><\/a><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Medical geology is the study of the relationships between geoenvironmental factors and the health of plants, animals and humans. BGS has extensive expertise researching medical geology issues in the UK and internationally and the association between environmental geochemistry and health in particular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Geochemistry and health issues can arise as a consequence of a lack of essential nutrients in geological materials such as soil and water, resulting in inadequate uptake into plants, animals and humans via the food chain. The ability of the natural environment to provide adequate essential nutrients is of prime importance to agricultural management. Issues can also be caused by exposure to high concentrations of potentially harmful chemical substances in the environment (air; dust; soil; water; foodstuffs). Elevated concentrations of potentially harmful substances can occur naturally, as a consequence of geological and other environmental processes, or as a result of pollution by human activities. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Medical geology and geochemistry and health investigations examine the source, dispersion, behaviour, uptake and health impacts of chemical substances in the environment to aid ecosystem management and health protection. In the UK, much of this work has been carried out using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/applied-geochemistry\/g-base\/\">G-BASE<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.bgs.ac.uk\/gsni\/tellus\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TellusNI<\/a> &nbsp;geochemistry datasets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>BGS is an international leader in the development of methods for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geology\/\">measurement, modelling and understanding of the mobility of chemical substances<\/a> in the environment and in the determination of the bioaccessibility of potentially harmful substances to aid health hazard assessments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, extensive medical geology programmes are carried out by the <a href=\"http:\/\/environmentalgeochemistry.org\/\">Centre for Environmental Geochemistry<\/a><strong> <\/strong>&nbsp;(<a href=\"http:\/\/environmentalgeochemistry.org\/publications.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">view the centre&#8217;s publications<\/a>) and by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/groundwater-research\/\">BGS Groundwater<\/a> programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Our research<\/h2>\n\n\n<div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">Bioaccessibility studies UK<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geology\/\">Medical geology \u2013 measurement of geochemical hazards\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Selected UK-based bioaccessibility studies<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/503565\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lead bioaccessibility in topsoils from lead mineralisation and urban domains, UK.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/19473\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Modelling lead bioaccessibility in urban topsoils based on data from Glasgow, London, Northampton and Swansea, UK<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/18948\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Anthropogenic and geogenic impacts on arsenic bioaccessibility in UK topsoils<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/18896\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bioaccessibility of trace elements in soils in Northern Ireland.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/12578\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Determination of the bioaccessibility of chromium in Glasgow soil and the implications for human health risk assessment<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/10934529.2013.731808\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Measurement modelling and mapping of arsenic bioaccessibility in Northampton, United Kingdom<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/502771\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The importance of solid-phase distribution on the oral bioaccessibility of Ni and Cr in soils overlying Palaeogene basalt lavas, Northern Ireland<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/15252\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A lead isotopic study of the human bioaccessibility of lead in urban soils from Glasgow, Scotland<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Kelleher, A M. 1999. Assessment of Lead and Arsenic Bioavailability in Surface Soils in the Cardiff Area. MSc Thesis. Cardiff University.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/510387\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lability of Pb in soil: effects of soil properties and contaminant source<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/510763\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The effects of lead sources on oral bioaccessibility in soil and implications for contaminated land risk management<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/513049\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Linking selective chemical extraction of iron oxyhydroxides to arsenic bioaccessibility in soil<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/15880\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bioaccessibility of arsenic in soils developed over Jurassic ironstones in eastern England<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/521947\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Linkage between solid-phase apportionment and bioaccessible arsenic, chromium and lead in soil from Glasgow, Scotland, UK<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/507249\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The solid phase distribution and bioaccessibility of arsenic, chromium, and nickel in natural ironstone soils in the UK<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2075-163X\/8\/12\/570\/htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Link between Soil Geochemistry in South-West England and Human Exposure to Soil Arsenic<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">Animal health, food supply and agricultural studies UK<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geological-research\/science-facilities\/environmental-geochemistry\/inorganic-geochemistry-facility\/#Environmental\"><strong>Essential Elements for Food Security<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.environmentalgeochemistry.org\/research\/BiochemicalCycling.html\"><strong>Biogeochemical Cycling<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Selected UK papers:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Aggett, P J, Mills, C F, Morrison, A, Plant, J A, Simpson, P R, Callan, M, Dingwall-Fordyce, I, Halliday, G F, and Stevenson, A. 1990. <u>A study of environmental geochemistry and health in north east Scotland.<\/u> Geochemistry and health, Proceedings of the second international symposium, Monograph Series Environmental Geochemistry and Health, Science Reviews, Northwood.)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/586\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Biofortification of UK food crops with selenium<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/11630\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">An initial study to assess the use of geological parent materials to predict the Se concentration in overlying soils and in five staple foodstuffs produced on them in Scotland\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/512196\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Liver copper concentrations in cull cattle in the UK: are cattle being copper loaded?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/522844\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Combining two national\u2013scale datasets to map soil properties, the case of available magnesium in England and Wales<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/515917\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Information for agriculture from regional geochemical surveys: the example of soil pH in the Tellus and Tellus Border data<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/514802\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Equine grass sickness in Scotland: a case-control study of environmental geochemical risk factors<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">Assessing environmental impacts on health\/wellbeing UK <\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\n<li><strong>Arsenic in South-west England Study<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geological-research\/science-facilities\/environmental-geochemistry\/inorganic-geochemistry-facility\/#Environmental\"><strong>Biomonitoring, health outcomes and provenancing studies<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Selected UK papers:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/172\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iron nutrition and possible lead toxicity: an appraisal of geophagy undertaken by pregnant women of UK Asian communities<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/500519\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Does returning sites of historic peri-urban waste disposal to vegetable production pose a risk to human health? : a case study near Manchester, UK<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/520784\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The effect of lead in soil on crime deprivation in Derby, Leicester and Nottingham<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/521453\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Linkage of national soil quality measurements to primary care medical records in England and Wales: a new resource for investigating environmental impacts on human health\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/17992\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Assessing potential risk of heavy metal exposure from consumption of home-produced vegetables by urban populations<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/525388\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Comparison of methods for addressing the point-to-area data transformation to make data suitable for environmental, health and socio-economic studies<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/503842\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">An initial assessment of spatial relationships between respiratory cases, soil metal content, air quality and deprivation indicators in Glasgow, Scotland, UK: relevance to the environmental justice agenda<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/509629\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Human health risk assessment for exposure to soil at London Road Allotments, Coventry (UK)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">Radon exposure assessment UK<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/download\/radon-potential-dataset\/\">Radon exposure assessment<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Selected UK papers:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/5132\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Background exposure rates of terrestrial wildlife in England and Wales<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/18831\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Exposure of burrowing mammals to 222Rn<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/8032\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Assessment of naturally occurring radionuclides around England and Wales: application of the G-BASE dataset to estimate doses to non-human species<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">Groundwater quality and health<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>For groundwater geochemistry and health studies see <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.bgs.ac.uk\/groundwater\/health\/home.html\">Groundwater and Health <\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><div  class=\"accordions\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"acc-top secondary-background icon-arrow button no-btn\"><span class=\"button-content\" tabindex=\"-1\">References<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"acc-body sea-background-e\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Key references:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/502215\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Radon in air and water<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/20520\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fluoride in natural waters<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/19209\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Environmental geochemistry and health: global perspectives<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/13816\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fluorine: human health risks<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/1489\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Selenium medical geology<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/19045\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Selenium geochemistry and health<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/502037\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Selenium deficiency and toxicity in the environment<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/513429\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Iodine and human health, the role of environmental geochemistry and diet, a review<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/9066\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Symposium on &#8216;Geographical and geological influences on nutrition&#8217; : factors controlling the distribution of selenium in the environment and their impact on health and nutrition<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/17268\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Toxic trace elements<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/17267\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Essential and beneficial trace elements<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/13370\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Medical geology in Europe.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nora.nerc.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/502491\/\">Arsenic in groundwater and the environment<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Thornton I and Plant J A.<\/strong> 1980. Regional geochemical mapping and health in the United Kingdom. Journal of the Geological Society of London, Vol. 137, 575-586.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\t\t<section id=\"in-this-section-1148-block_f97f08b8a2f7578030ff8d63b24acd4d\" class=\"grid-section  rock-background-d   \" >\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row header-of-section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>Further information about our work<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row grid-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n\t<div class=\"cards-over-img cards  cards-find-more \">\n\t\t<a class=\"media-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geology\/\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/emma-simpson-mNGaaLeWEp0-unsplash_feature-150x150.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur wp-post-image\" alt=\"emma-simpson-mNGaaLeWEp0-unsplash_feature\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/emma-simpson-mNGaaLeWEp0-unsplash_feature.jpg\" \/>\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div class=\"info-wrap\">\n\t\t<div class=\"info\">\n\t\t\t<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geology\/\">Medical geology &mdash; measuring geochemical hazards<\/a><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Understanding and assessing geochemical hazards in the environment has been a part of the BGS portfolio of research for over 50 years.  <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/medical-geology\/\">Show more<\/a>\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n\t<div class=\"cards-over-img cards  cards-find-more \">\n\t\t<a class=\"media-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geological-research\/science-facilities\/environmental-geochemistry\/\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/feature_careers_p514969-150x150.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur wp-post-image\" alt=\"geoscientist in the lab\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/feature_careers_p514969.jpg\" \/>\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div class=\"info-wrap\">\n\t\t<div class=\"info\">\n\t\t\t<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geological-research\/science-facilities\/environmental-geochemistry\/\">Centre for Environmental Geochemistry<\/a><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The Centre for Environmental Geochemistry focuses on the use of geochemistry in research, training and teaching. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geological-research\/science-facilities\/environmental-geochemistry\/\">Show more<\/a>\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-md-6 col-lg-4\">\n\t<div class=\"cards-over-img cards  cards-find-more \">\n\t\t<a class=\"media-wrap\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/applied-geochemistry\/international-geochemistry\/international-projects\/\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Streamsedsierraleone2_feature-150x150.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur wp-post-image\" alt=\"Streamsedsierraleone2_feature\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Streamsedsierraleone2_feature.jpg\" \/>\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div class=\"info-wrap\">\n\t\t<div class=\"info\">\n\t\t\t<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/applied-geochemistry\/international-geochemistry\/international-projects\/\">International projects<\/a><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Selected International Environmental Geochemistry and Geochemistry and Health projects that BGS have been involved with.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/applied-geochemistry\/international-geochemistry\/international-projects\/\">Show more<\/a>\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<section   id=\"latest-content-5616-block_ce1110a2d10ba8a1bfba44fe8526ebda\" class=\"grid-section  primary-background   \" >\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row header-of-section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2>You may also be interested in:<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row grid-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-lg-6 col-12\">\n\t<div class=\"cards cards-orizontal-sm  cards-find-more  cards-bordered\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/applied-geochemistry\/\" class=\"media-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/P514969-150x150.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur wp-post-image\" alt=\"P514969\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/P514969.jpg\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"info\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/applied-geochemistry\/\">Applied geochemistry<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Since the 1960s, the BGS has amassed considerable geochemical data holdings and developed significant expertise in applied geochemistry.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geology-projects\/applied-geochemistry\/\">Show more<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-lg-6 col-12\">\n\t<div class=\"cards cards-orizontal-sm  cards-find-more  cards-bordered\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geological-research\/environmental-change\/\" class=\"media-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/feature_env_change-150x150.jpg\" class=\"lazy-blur wp-post-image\" alt=\"Environmental change\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/feature_env_change.jpg\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"info-wrap\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"info\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geological-research\/environmental-change\/\">Environmental change, adaptation and resilience<\/a><\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>We are undertaking research aimed at reducing vulnerability, protecting resources and building resilience in response to substantial environmental changes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bgs.ac.uk\/geological-research\/environmental-change\/\">Show more<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Medical geology is the study of the relationships between geoenvironmental factors and the health of plants, animals and humans. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":109631,"parent":0,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"50567,37431,8183,8435,37463,9609","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":""},"tags":[1164,1313,818,836,817],"region":[],"topic":[],"purpose":[],"area":[],"challenge":[],"challenge_topic":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Medical geology - British Geological Survey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Medical geology is the study of the relationships between geoenvironmental factors and the health of 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