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Theme 20

Mineralogy and Geochemistry Related to Human Health Issues

Greg Druschel, Vermont,
Elena Belluso, Turino, Italy,

Co-hosted sessions

SESSIONS

20a. Biogeochemistry of mineral-lung fluid interactions

Co-convenors:
Tamara R. Diedrich (Barr Engineering Company, Minneapolis) - TDiedrichbarr.com
Andrea Harrington (SUNY-Stony Brook) - harrinangmail.com

SESSION MERGED with 20b

20b. Geochemistry and human health effects of atmospheric particulate matter

(co-hosted by Themes 20, 11 and 14)

Co-convenors:
Allan Kolker (U.S. Geological Survey) - akolkerusgs.gov
Geoff Plumlee (U.S. Geological Survey) - gplumleeusgs.gov

This session will explore the geochemistry of atmospheric particulate matter from all sources specifically in the context of its impact on human health and the environment. Previous Goldschmidt sessions have emphasized the chemistry and behavior of atmospheric aerosols, including processes associated with their formation, transport, and deposition. Human health impacts have been considered as a portion of this larger topic where appropriate. In the proposed session, we focus specifically on human health impacts associated with atmospheric particulate matter. Examples include: 1) health effects associated with natural and anthropogenic atmospheric dust; 2) fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and links to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, and reduced life expectancy; 3) occupational exposure and health effects, including asbestos-related illnesses, silica toxicity and coal workers pneumoconiosis (“black lung”); 4) domestic and regional combustion and respiratory health, including effects of coal and biomass burning; and 5) consequences of incidental exposure from dust-generating activities. This will be an interdisciplinary session with invited speakers from both the public health and geochemical communities. The aim of this session is to bring together researchers investigating human exposure to atmospheric particulate matter using many different approaches, to gain insight into its impact on human health and the potential for mitigation. We invite research contributions highlighting how atmospheric particulate matter from all sources influences human health and the environment on all scales.

Keynote speaker:
Reto Gieré (Albert-Ludwigs Universität, Freiburg, Germany), giereuni-freiburg.de
Invited speaker:
Martin A. Schoonen (SUNY – Stony Brook, U.S.A.), martin.schoonenstonybrook.edu

20c. Biogeochemical influences on metal bioavailability in contaminated soils and sediments

Co-convenors:
Christopher Kim (Chapman University) - cskimchapman.edu
James Shine (Harvard University)- jshinehsph.harvard.edu

The bioavailability of metals in the environment is most commonly assessed either directly through in vivo live animal experiments or indirectly through in vitro extraction procedures which mimic biological processes. While both approaches can provide an empirical interpretation of metal mobilization and incorporation in the body, the underlying mechanistic biogeochemical processes leading to observed metal uptake are often not clearly identified.

Metal bioavailability is influenced by time, the route of exposure (e.g. ingestion vs. inhalation), mineralogy, particle size distribution, and composition of the metal-bearing materials. In addition, metals feature distinct and often complex biogeochemical cycles that significantly impact the aforementioned variables. A mechanistic understanding of the behavior and cycling of metals as they transfer from the environment into living systems is therefore critical in order to produce risk assessments that are both grounded in our basic understanding of metal biogeochemistry and relevant to contaminated regions.

This session invites presentations that address the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of metals in contaminated environments. Presentations are expected to address the challenges of developing reliable in vitro or in vivo diagnostic models or methods that can accurately predict bioavailability and are explicitly rooted in the fundamental biogeochemical processes that affect bioavailability.

20d. Metals and human health

Co-convenors:
Gabe Filippelli (Indiana– Purdue University) - gfilippeiupui.edu
Ben Bostick (Columbia University) - bostickldeo.columbia.edu

This session examines current knowledge of the distribution, exposure pathways, bioavailability, epidemiolology, and pathology of metals. Although we have a relatively good understanding of both ends of the spectrum, i.e., distribution from an earth sciences perspective and pathology from a biological model perspective, the middle portion of this continuum is poorly understand, particularly as it pertains to human health. In particular, using newer techniques to analyze spatial and temporal characteristics of geological processes may help to bridge the gap to health effects and health outcomes research. This session will draw on recent work on lead, mercury, arsenic, and other metals known to be biotoxic at certain levels, with an aim to integrate what we know about the geochemical cycling of these elements with what we know about their impacts on human health.

20e. Thiolation and its effect on arsenic toxicity

Co-convenors:
Britta Planer-Friedrich (Universität Bayreuth) - b.planer-friedrichuni-bayreuth.de
Tanja Schwerdtle (Universität Münster) - tanja.schwerdtleuni-muenster.de
Dirk Wallschläger (Trent University, Canada) - dwallschtrentu.ca

CANCELLED

20f. Selenium distribution, bioavailability and health effects

Co-convenors:
Laurent Charlet (University of Grenoble, France) - charlet38gmail.com
Lenny Winkel (EAWAG and ETH Zurich, Switzerland) - lenny.winkeleawag.ch
Markus Lenz (University of Northwestern Switzerland) -markus.lenzfhnw.ch

The essential trace element selenium (Se) plays a fundamental role in human health. Globally, the distribution of selenium in rocks and soils is uneven, which has previously led to negative health effects in birds, livestock and humans. Selenium has one of the narrowest ranges between doses that are essential and toxic, and in order to prevent health hazards and guide future policies, it is essential to better understand the biogeochemical processes that control the dynamic distribution of selenium in the environment. The behavior of selenium and sulfur have often been compared. Despite the similarities to the global sulfur cycle, the factors that control selenium bioavailability and selenium-rich mineral solubility (particularly in the nano range size) as well as the biogeochemical selenium cycle of the present and primitive Earth are still largely unknown.

This session will highlight the results of recent studies that explore the mobility and behavior of selenium in the environment and in organisms, from the nano to the field scale. We particularly encourage studies that present new results and provocative views on biogeochemical process dynamics, control of selenium distribution and bioavailability. We also welcome studies that explore the relationship between the behavior of selenium and sulfur organisms, the human body and environmental compartments.

Co-hosted sessions:

Please note that for abstract submission purposes, the following sessions and their respective descriptions appear in their primary Theme assignments (numbers in red or before the title).

8i.- Interactions at the interface between organic components and minerals

Co-convenors: Patricia Maurice/Notre Dame, Keshia Koehn/Notre Dame, Per Persson/Umea University and Dharni Vasudevan/Bowdoin College
(co-hosted by Themes 8 and 20)

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