RISK ASSESSMENT & COMMUNICATION IN
MEDICAL GEOLOGY
RA1 - Health Impacts of Mining Activities
Mining activities have been in operation for several centuries. Mining of metallic and non metallic ores constitute a potential source of contamination for the environment and biosphere. Mining wastes and acid mine drainage also contribute to the environmental and health degradation. Occupational safety and health measures are not properly applied in most mines particularly in developing countries. This session will discuss the health problems associated with mining activities e.g. pneumoconiosis, black lung disease, silicosis, asbestosis, fluorosis, lung cancer caused by Radon emissions. Other issues that can be discussed is the use of toxic chemicals in the beneficiation of some ores like gold and phosphate and the radioactive hazards encountered in mining of uranium and phosphate ores. Sound plans and management systems including health risk assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment studies associated with mining life cycle are also important issues to discuss in this session.
Conveners: Ashraf El Maghraby
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RA2 - Teaching Medical Geology & Environmental Education
Environmental Education does not stop with acquiring information about environment but also helps to acquire attitudes and values conducive to environment protection and understanding of interdependence of nature and people. Environmental education is to create an awareness of the economic, political and ecological interdependence of the modern world so as to enhance a sprit of responsibility and solidarity among nations and people. It is therefore very important to share approaches and ideas on teaching and learning Medical Geology! Oral and poster contributions will be welcome. We also encourage demonstrations and displays of teaching software (on your own computer), lab manuals, or other teaching materials that you have either developed yourself, or that have been developed by others but that you and your students have found useful.
Conveners: S. K. Sharma
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RA3 - Medical Geology Perspective on The Risks Associated with Volcanism
Well-known to the world community are devastating catastrophic volcanic events affecting nearby populations by lava flow, nueé ardent, lahar, and other plinian effects. Less well-known, but just as influential to human health are chronic health issues related to volcanism and geothermal systems in and around active volcanic areas. The session will emphasize these health issues related to volcanism; for example, volcanic air pollution from ash and volatiles, air pollution from geothermal fumaroles, groundwater contamination by geothermal fluids, and soil contamination. Such chronic health issues may have a long-lasting effect on generations of families living near volcanoes that is not well-understood by government agencies responsible for volcanic risk management. This session will bring together a multidisciplinary group of experts to examine and discuss these health issues.
Conveners: Benedetto De Vivo, Harvey Belkin
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RA4 - Brownfield Sites in Metropolitan Areas and Risk Assessment for Public Health
Urban habitats are important areas of biodiversity and the potential threatening impact of pollutants on this resource needs to be assessed. Many urban areas have to be cleaned up before the areas can be reutilized. The investigation of the impact of soil and water pollution on the environment and the related risks on human health is a good example of how the integration between various scientific research disciplines can be utilized to improve the protection of human health. The assessment of risk for human health consists of the identification of hazards and the characterization of risks resulting from exposure to soil and water pollutants, including the related uncertainties. To assess the magnitude of the problem, an interdisciplinary approach is of fundamental importance to achieve the following endpoints: i. to better understand the underlying patterns and size of risks (risk assessment), ii. to develop effective strategies for environmental remediation (risk management).
Conveners: Stefano Albanese, Domenico Cicchella, Annamaria Lima, Maurizio Manno
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RA5 - Medical Geology and Occupational Medicine
The Workers' Compensation Authorities protect workers from the physical and economic damage deriving from work related accident and diseases. The geologists' knowledge was and it is still essential for a correct risk assessment. The session, through a multidisciplinary approach, points out to some main subjects which are historically recognized and compensated as occupational illnesses.
Conveners: Rodolfo Coccioni, Bianca Rimoldi, Fabio Tateo, Paolo Valera
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RA6 - Health Impact Assessment
Health impact assessment (HIA) is commonly defined as “a combination of procedures, methods, and tools by which a policy, program, or project may be judged as to its potential effects on the health of a population, and the distribution of those effects within the population”. Also the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the need for development policies to protect health, thus reducing negative environmental health impacts. This session will gather recent research activities dealing both with an estimation of project/policy benefits or risks on health and the planning of appropriate interventions, with the aim of promoting a discussion on the methodologies to be applied in order to describe, quantify, monetize and determine the distribution of the environmental effects on health.
Conveners: ..::coming soon::..
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