Introduction To Medical Geology

Introduction to Medical Geology Focus on tropical environments Erlangen Earth Conference Series Series Editor Andr´e Freiwald University Erlangen, Germany For further volumes: http://www.springer.com/series/7037 C.B. Dissanayake · Rohana Chandrajith Introduction to Medical Geology Focus on tropical environments 123 Prof. Dr. C. B. Dissanayake University of Peradeniya Dept. Geology Peradeniya Sri Lanka [email protected] Dr. Rohana Chandrajith University of Peradeniya Dept. Geology Peradeniya Sri Lanka [email protected] ISBN 978-3-642-00484-1 e-ISBN 978-3-642-00485-8 DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-00485-8 Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2009926840 c Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009  This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: WMXDesign GmbH, Heidelberg Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com) Dedicated to the ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT STIFTUNG/FOUNDATION & to Professor Dr. Heinz J. Tobschall Chair of Applied Geology, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany Foreword Tropical lands are unique in a number of ways. Over150 countries have at least half their landmass in the tropics and these represent more than 40% of the world’s population of around 6 billion. Only two regions namely, Singapore and Hong Kong lying in the tropical zone, rank among the 30 countries classified as those with high income by the World Bank. The geography, geology, extreme rock weathering, depletion of essential elements, agriculture, biodiversity and ecosystems, poverty, among others all contribute to the uniqueness of these land masses. Most interestingly, the fact that the vast majority of these people live in close association with the geological environment points to a remarkable association with certain diseases. This fact is highlighted by the authors in a number of interesting case studies involving millions of people. The role of certain trace elements, their geochemical pathways under the extreme climatic conditions as seen in the tropi