Materials and Public Health by Geotimes Staff Earth resources
are the foundation of modern civilization, crucial to almost
every facet of our lives. And yet we know that some geologic
materials pose significant health risks that jeopardize
individuals, communities and even whole populations. In some
instances, people are exposed when they move into areas with
high concentrations of these materials, such as when houses are
built above uranium-rich rock units that produce radon gas. More
often, exposure is the unintended consequence of mining and
other human activities that release geologic materials into the
surface environment. In this feature, our writers take a look at
the current status of five well-known Earth materials that
regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, have identified as significant health risks: arsenic,
asbestos, mercury, silica and radon. Most of these materials
have been the subject of public health scares in the past, and
several have been in recent headline