Note: Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- List of Contributors -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Section 1 Geochemistry and Health -- Chapter 1 Medical Geology: Biosphere, Geosphere, and Noosphere Interface -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Medical Geology in Russia and Newly Independent States (NIS) -- 1.2.1 Linking Geology to Soils - Minerals and HealthCare (Medicine) -- 1.3 Medicinal Value of Metals in Ancient Indian System of Medicine (After Charaka Samhita) -- 1.3.1 Parada (Mercury) -- 1.3.2 Swarna (Gold) Bhasma -- 1.3.3 Rajata (Silver) Bhasma -- 1.3.4 Tamra (Copper) Bhasma -- 1.3.5 Aayasa or Loha (Iron) -- 1.3.6 Mandura Bhasma -- 1.3.7 Naga/Sisaka (lead) Bhasma -- 1.3.8 Vanga/Trapu (tin) Bhasma -- 1.3.9 Pittala (Brass) -- 1.4 Linking Geology to Medicine? -- 1.5 Mineral-Enriched Yeast: Vehicles of Nutrition -- 1.6 Trace Elements/Functional Foods -- 1.6.1 Antidiabetic Plants - The Chromium Connection -- 1.6.2 Lithium -- 1.7 Public Health Informatics (PHI) -- 1.7.1 Medicinal-Mineral Resources -- 1.7.2 Balneotherapy -- 1.8 Use of Clay Minerals in Water Purification -- 1.9 Bathing in Radioactive Monazite-Rich Sands -- Glossary -- References -- Chapter 2 Biogeochemistry: Essential Link Between Geosphere and Biosphere -- 2.1 Introduction to Biogeochemistry -- 2.2 Geosphere: Formation, Evolution, and Isotopes -- 2.2.1 Evolution of the Geosphere -- 2.3 Biosphere -- 2.3.1 Evolution of the Biosphere -- 2.3.2 Bacteria: The Most Primitive Organisms on Earth -- 2.4 Natural Biogeochemistry Cycles (C, N, P, and S) -- 2.4.1 Carbon Cycle -- 2.4.2 Nitrogen Cycle -- 2.4.3 Phosphorous Cycle -- 2.4.4 Sulfur Cycle -- 2.5 Artificial Biogeochemistry Cycles -- 2.6 Soil Biogeochemistry -- 2.6.1 Introduction to Soil Biogeochemistry -- 2.6.2 Soil Formation and Evolution -- 2.6.3 Soil and Ecosystem Balancing. , 2.7 Impact of Natural and Anthropogenic Activities on Biogeochemical Processes -- 2.7.1 Landslide -- 2.7.2 Volcanic Eruptions -- 2.7.3 Industrial Activities -- 2.7.4 Intensive Agriculture -- 2.7.5 Greenhouse Gas Emissions -- 2.7.6 Ocean Acidification -- 2.8 Conclusion and Future Perspectives -- References -- Chapter 3 Geochemical Release and Environmental Interfaces -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.1.1 Mineral Release -- 3.1.2 Gas Release -- 3.2 Environmental Interfaces -- 3.2.1 Atmospheric Aerosol Interface -- 3.2.2 Nanomaterial Interfaces -- 3.2.3 Effect of Geochemical Release on Environmental Interfaces -- 3.2.4 Benefits of Geochemical Releases on Environment -- References -- Section 2 Dust Storms and Health -- Chapter 4 Minerogenic Dust and Human Health -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Tree "Bark Pockets" as Pollution Time Capsules -- 4.3 Asbestosis -- 4.4 Phosphogypsum Dust (Anthropogenic Radioactivity) -- 4.5 Silicosis -- 4.6 Volcanic Ash -- 4.7 Dust and Gases from Volcanic Eruptions -- 4.8 Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Activities in Nigeria -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 5 Silicosis and Asbestosis -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Silicosis -- 5.2.1 Structure and Properties of Silica -- 5.2.2 Environmental Occurrence of Silica -- 5.2.3 Industrial Applications and Human Exposure to Silica -- 5.2.4 Silicosis and Its Pathologic Mechanisms -- 5.2.5 Prevention and Treatment of Silicosis -- 5.3 Asbestosis -- 5.3.1 Structure of Asbestos -- 5.3.2 Properties of Asbestos -- 5.3.3 Sources of Asbestos Fiber -- 5.4 Industrial Application -- 5.5 Exposure to Mineral Fiber -- 5.6 Disease Description and Mechanisms of Action -- 5.7 Prevention and Treatment Plans -- References -- Chapter 6 Radon and Health -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Radon Chemistry -- 6.3 Sources of Radon -- 6.4 Radon Measurement Units -- 6.5 Safe Radon Levels -- 6.6 Radon Detection Methods. , 6.7 Detection of Radon and Radon Decay Products by Grab Sampling Method -- 6.7.1 Ionization Chambers -- 6.7.2 Scintillation Cell Method -- 6.7.3 Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) -- 6.7.4 Gross Alpha Counting -- 6.7.5 Alpha Spectrometry -- 6.8 Detection of Radon and Radon Decay Products by Integrated Measurement Methods -- 6.8.1 Solid-State Nuclear Track Detector -- 6.8.2 Activated Carbon Method -- 6.8.3 Electret-Ionization Chamber (EIC) Method -- 6.8.4 Solid-State Detection Monitors -- 6.9 Detection of Radon and Radon Decay Products by Continuous Monitors -- 6.9.1 Continuous Scintillation Cell Monitor -- 6.9.2 Passive Continuous Radon Monitor -- 6.9.3 Continuous Radon Monitors for Radon Progeny -- 6.10 Health Effects of Radon -- 6.10.1 Lung Cancer -- 6.10.2 Leukemia -- 6.10.3 Skin Cancer -- 6.10.4 Circulatory System Diseases (CSDs) -- 6.11 Prevention and Mitigation of Radon in Indoor Settings -- 6.12 Conclusion -- References -- Section 3 Medical Geology of the Hydrosphere -- Chapter 7 Water-Rock Interactions: Mineral Dissolution -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Congruent (Simple) Dissolution -- 7.2.1 Simple Dissolution of Minerals in Groundwater System -- 7.2.2 Saturation Index -- 7.2.3 Chemical Evolution of Groundwater Controlled by Congruent Dissolution -- 7.3 Incongruent Dissolution -- 7.3.1 Incongruent Dissolution in Aquifer Systems -- 7.3.2 Weathering of Silicates -- 7.3.3 Consequence of Incongruent Dissolution of Silicates -- 7.4 Reductive Dissolution of Fe(III) Oxides -- 7.4.1 Fe(III) Oxide Mineral and Reductive Dissolution -- 7.4.2 Cause of Reductive Dissolution of Fe(III) Oxides -- 7.4.3 Consequence of Reductive Dissolution of Fe(III) Oxides -- 7.5 Conclusion Remarks -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 8 Water Hardness and Health -- 8.1 Water Hardness - Overview -- 8.2 Origin of Water Hardness. , 8.3 Water Hardness and Health Influence - Background -- 8.3.1 Cardiovascular Diseases and Water Hardness -- 8.3.2 Prevention Mechanism of CVD by Water Hardness -- 8.3.3 Kidney Disease and Water Hardness -- 8.3.4 Protective Competence of the Hard Water Against Cancer Development -- 8.3.5 Calcium and Magnesium Intake and Other Health Effects -- 8.3.6 Physiological Significance of Magnesium -- 8.3.7 Health Drawbacks of Water Hardness -- 8.4 Mitigation of Water Hardness -- 8.5 Conclusions -- References -- Chapter 9 Geochemistry of Fluoride in the Environment and Human Health -- 9.1 Introduction -- 9.2 Geochemistry of Fluoride -- 9.3 Fluoride in Rocks -- 9.4 Fluoride in Soil -- 9.5 Fluoride in Plants -- 9.6 Fluoride in Natural Water -- 9.7 Fluoride and Human Health -- 9.8 Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 10 Iodine Essentiality for Human Health: Sources, Toxicity, Biogeochemistry, and Strategies for Alleviation of Iodine Deficiency Disorders -- 10.1 Introduction -- 10.2 Iodine Essentiality for Human Health -- 10.3 Role of Iodine in Thyroid Function -- 10.4 Iodine Sources in Biogeosphere and Hydrosphere -- 10.5 Iodine in Diets -- 10.6 Iodine in Watersheds -- 10.7 Iodine Deficiency Disorders -- 10.8 Biogeochemical Cycling of Iodine -- 10.9 Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 11 Understanding Nexus Between Hydrogeochemical Cycling and Medical Geology of Arsenic -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 What Is Medical Geology? -- 11.3 Arsenic Release Mechanisms -- 11.4 Exposure and Effects of As on Humans and Plants -- 11.5 Conclusions and Outlooks -- Acknowledgments -- References -- Chapter 12 Potentially Toxic Metals and Health -- 12.1 Introduction -- 12.2 Toxic Metals and Their Resources -- 12.2.1 Arsenic (As) -- 12.2.2 Cadmium (Cd) -- 12.2.3 Chromium (Cr) -- 12.2.4 Lead (Pb) -- 12.3 The Effects of Toxic Metals on Human Health. , 12.4 Toxic Metal Removal with Biochar Adsorption -- 12.5 Conclusions and Recommendations -- References -- Section 4 Medical Pedology: Health Effects from Soils and Sediments -- Chapter 13 Dynamics of Trace Element Bioavailability in Soil: Agronomic Enhancement and Risk Assessment -- 13.1 Introduction -- 13.2 Bioavailability of Trace Elements in Contaminated Soils -- 13.3 Case Study -- 13.3.1 Experimental Design -- 13.3.2 Target Hazard Quotient -- 13.4 Uptake of Trace Elements: Change in Bioavailability -- 13.5 Trace Element Accumulation in Vegetable/Fodder -- 13.6 Human Health Risk Assessment -- 13.7 Conclusion -- References -- Chapter 14 Geochemical Provenance of Metalloids and Their Release: Implications on Medical Geology -- 14.1 Medical Geology of Metalloids -- 14.2 Role of Natural Geologic Materials and Processes on Releasing of Metalloids to the Environment -- 14.2.1 Release to Hydrosphere -- 14.2.2 Release to Lithosphere -- 14.2.3 Release to Atmosphere -- 14.2.4 Mechanism of the Release of the Metalloids to the Environment -- 14.3 Bioavailability and Bioaccessibility of Metalloids -- 14.3.1 Soil -- 14.3.2 Aquatic Environment -- 14.3.3 Atmosphere -- 14.4 Human Exposure of Metalloids -- 14.5 Toxicity of Metalloids to Human and Prevention -- 14.6 The Risk Management Strategies to Reduce the Bioavailable of Metalloids in the Environment -- 14.6.1 Remediation of Metalloids from the Water Bodies -- 14.6.2 Remediation of Metalloids from the Soil Matrices -- 14.7 Summary and Future Development -- References -- Chapter 15 Cobalt and Copper Deficiency and Molybdenosis -- 15.1 Introduction -- 15.2 Role of Co, Cu, and Mo as Micronutrients -- 15.2.1 Role of Cu as a Micronutrient in Plants -- 15.2.2 Role of Cu as a Micronutrient in Animals -- 15.2.3 Role of Co as a Micronutrient in Plants -- 15.2.4 Role of Co as a Micronutrient in Animals. , 15.2.5 Co and Cu Micro-Deficiency.