Geochemical ecology and problems of health

Abstract

The state of health or disease is determined by the nature of the organism, the properties of the biosphere, the heterogeneity of its natural geochemical composition and changes brought about by technology (technogenic changes). For a systematic study of the conditions of health and endemic diseases we have suggested a system of biogeochemical regionalizing of the biosphere with the aid of biospheric taxa: regions of the biosphere, subregions of the biosphere, biogeochemical provinces. The main criteria of the regionalizing are biogenous cycles of chemical elements (links of the biogeochemical food chain from soil-forming rocks to man). An important criterion of the biogeochemical regionalizing is threshold concentrations of chemical elements. The organism regulates its metabolism within the ranges of chemical element concentration between the upper and lower thresholds (necessity range). When chemical elements are present in concentrations above the upper threshold and below the lower threshold, dysfunctions and endemic diseases are observed. Hence, the biogeochemical food chain allows us to establish critical links responsible for the state of health or endemic disease. Principles of optimizing the conditions of the environment and life have been worked out. The creation by us in the U.S.S.R. of biogeochemical maps relating conditions of the environment to biological reactions of organisms has proved a useful method of studying the ecological structure of the biosphere.

Geochemical evaluation of soils, surface and groundwater from natural protected areas from Romania. Case studies.

“…Other studies are focused on finding geochemical thresholds using C-N fractal analysis models, making maps of geochemical anomalies and delimiting probable abnormal sites. The spatial distribution of Mn, Cu, Co, Pb and Zn anomalies was correlated with the Mn and Cu mineralization sites, while Fe and Cr were consistent with magmatic rock distributions [8]. There are concerns to establish some regionalization criteria by highlighting the biogenic cycles of chemical elements, respectively, the links of the biogeochemical food chain, starting from rockspedogenesis and to human.…”

Boron sources, speciation and its potential impact on health

“…Gaseous emission Particulate Koutz (1971) 0.01 Fogg and Duce (1985) 2.1 0.0003 Anderson et al (1994) 0.24 0.21 Park and Schlesinger (2002) 0.017-0.022 0.00022-0.00047 You et al (1993) 0.08 Park and Schlesinger (2002) 0.13 Seyfried et al (1984) Chemical weathering 0.043 Park and Schlesinger (2002) 0.026 Klee and Graedel (2004) Physical weathering 0.15 Park and Schlesinger (2002) High-temperature hydrothermal vents 0.13 Seyfried et al (1984) 0.004-0.042 You et al (1995) 0.08 Park and Schlesinger (2002) Fluids from subduction zones 0.02 Lemarchand et al (2000) Desorbable boron in marine sediments 0.1 Vengosh et al (1991) Sedimentation 0.47 Park and Schlesinger (2002) Biogenic carbonate sink 0.064 Vengosh et al (1991) Organic matter burial 0.014 Park and Schlesinger (2002) Biogenic silica sink 0.013 Ishikawa and Nakamura (1993); Kolodny and Chaussidon (2004) Altered oceanic crust sink 0.14 Vengosh et al (1991) Low-temperature hydrothermal sink 0.08-0.27 Park and Schlesinger (2002) Anthropogenic Boron mining 0.31 Park and Schlesinger (2002) 0.4 Argust (1998) 1.36 Klee and Graedel (2004) Biomass burning 0.26-0.43 Park and Schlesinger (2002) 0.24 Klee and Graedel (2004) Fossil fuels combustion 0.24 Klee and Graedel (2004) Coal combustion 0.20 Fogg and Duce (1985); Argust (1998) Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol (2009) 8: 3-28 7 4.8 9 10 9 and 4.4 9 10 9 kg B year -1 , respectively, while Klee and Graedel (2004) estimated B mobilisation by terrestrial plant primary production as 12.9 9 10 9 kg B year -1 . These two cycles are the primary sources of some lesser B environmental fluxes.…”

Boron in the Environment

“…These two cycles determined lesser B environmental fluxes. 4,46,47 These are areas of salt-bearing strata, modern and ancient volcanic activity. 38 It is also the primary source of B fluxes from combustion of biomass and, in geologic time, combustion of fossil fuels.…”