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Impact of Trace Elements in the Natural Environment and Public Health: a Medical Geology Perspective

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Impact of Trace Elements in the Natural Environment and Public Health: a Medical Geology Perspective Central Annals of Public Health and Research Short Communication *Corresponding author Emmanuel Arhin, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University for Development Impact of Trace Elements in the Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences, P. O. Box 24, Navrongo, Ghana, Tel: 233 24 2280826; Email: Natural Environment and Public Submitted: 07 July 2016 Accepted: 17 November 2016 Health: A Medical Geology Published: 19 November 2016 Copyright Perspective © 2016 Arhin al. OPEN ACCESS Emmanuel Arhin* and MS Zango Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University for Development Studies, Keywords Ghana • Trace elements • Datoko-Shega • Deficiency Abstract • Adverse health The distributions and concentrations of trace elements in the environment exposed • Potentially toxic elements to biological materials including humans can affect life depending on the exposure and degree of concentrations. Whilst the essential trace elements impacts on human development the potential toxic elements will have adverse health consequences on humans and in animals. As observed from the study both lives threatening and life supporting trace elements all coexist in the environment. Clinical reviews on trace elements suggest that human bodies require some amounts of them at all times and their deficiencies adversely impact on human health. Mineral supplementation had always been the recommendation for people with deficiency of some trace elements as a prescription drug. In this study X-ray fluorescence analytical technique was used to measure the trace elements in the sediment samples whereas ICP-MS was used for the soil samples. The trace elements in sediments and in soils at the study areas showed Zn, V, Mo, and Ni depletions in both areas. Enrichments of Cu, Se Co and Cr were identified in the natural environments at both areas. The depleted elements are all essential elements which some are useful in the prevention of chronic diseases. Arsenic (As) was observed to be enriched in soils in Bole area and in stream sediments at Datoko- Shega; their involuntary ingestion can cause serious adverse health impact in humans. The study anticipate some of the essential trace element deficiency and the enrichment of some of the potential toxic elements to impact on Public Health and the authors fear for possible human health problem due to the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of the elevated high concentrations of PTE’s and deficiencies of some essential elements in stream sediments and soil samples. INTRODUCTION and their concentrations and abundances impact on health in a variety of ways. Living organisms including man are made up of major, minor, and trace elements, given by nature and supplied by The notion here is rock is an aggregate of minerals [2] and as geology. These elements particularly the trace elements can they are exposed to the agents of weathering (i.e. decomposition be essential and harmful depending on exposure and dose and of solid rock to unconsolidated pieces of rock materials) the contained minerals are released to the natural environment factors in terms of their concentrations and distributions [1]. Thecan bepathways, influenced exposures by the naturaland extent geological of ingestion and environmentalcan impact on composition of rocks and minerals are then imprinted on the air the distribution of health problems in humans and animals [2]. thatwhere we soils breathe, form the finalwater product that we of drink, the decomposed and the food rocks. that The we Addressing environmental health issues attributable to impacts eat. For many people this transformation of minerals and the of the natural environment on Public Health falls within a multi- trace elements from rocks to the natural environment contain help medical and public health communities all over the world nutrients (such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and indisciplinary the pursuit scientific of solutions field towhere a wide geoscience range of hasenvironmental the potential and to aboutbeneficial a dozen elements other and elements) minerals that as itare is essentialthe primary for asource healthy of naturally induced health issues [3]. The trace elements in the life. Nonetheless, sometimes the local rocks can contain excess or natural environment constitute the source of many diseases deficient trace elements than accepted global background values Cite this article: Arhin E, Zango MS (2016) Impact of Trace Elements in the Natural Environment and Public Health: A Medical Geology Perspective. Ann Public Health Res 3(4): 1051. Arhin et al. (2016) Email: Central of elements that naturally will dissolve under oxidizing/reducing conditions in groundwater. Reports had shown excess and of the disease before it becomes irreversible or life-threatening ifelement untreated. excesses Some or deficiencies,of the trace particularlyelements can in thebio-accumulate early phases and the fact that they are bioavailable and bio-accessible can element,deficient oramounts an excess of ofsome such elements elements to(such cause as arsenic,significant cadmium, health exceed the threshold that the human body needs. Managing the problems because there is an insufficient amount of an essential trace elements of which some are essential and others toxic to methane gas, an overabundance of dust-sized airborne particles humans requires the understanding of the trace elements in the ofmercury, asbestos, lead, quartz fluorine, or etc.),pyrite, or orgaseous certain combinations, naturally occurring such as natural environment on the public health. As indicated in the organic compounds. This paper presents human health problems introduction trace elements in the natural environment constitute the source of many diseases and their concentrations and abundances impact on health in a variety of ways. In addressing sciencerelated toparticularly excesses and medical deficiency geology of traceto help elements Medical investigated and Public Healthin parts workersof Ghana to highlightunderstand the significancethe emerging of includingenvironmental earth trace elements in soils-the outer most layer of the earth where the public health issues of trace elements this paper classifies the health diseases. terrestrial life (or the critical zone) depends and groups the trace elements into Essential trace elements and Potential toxic trace Location of study area elements. There is a growing list of trace elements that have been The study areas falls in the savannah ecological zone in the shown unequivocally to be of nutritional importance to mammals north where poverty levels are high and healthcare facilities not in trace amounts and others do have adverse consequence either developed like it pertains in the rainforest areas in the south. to man or animals. The trace elements that have shown to have The locations are Talensi and Bole Districts (Figure 1). The trace role in human nutrition and clearly show signs of diseases with element geochemistry soil surveys were carried out between Tinga and Dokrupe communities in the Bole District and near and in this study to highlight the importance of trace elements in their deficiencies are discussed using results obtained from soils around Datoko-Shega areas in the Talensi District. Public Health. These elements are iron (Fe), iodine (I), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), molybdenum (Mo), chromium (Cr), Trace elements and human health elements can cause chronic disease. However, in most developing The administrations of mineral supplements in drugs to countriesand, probably, and in manganese particular (Mn).in Ghana Deficiency we grow of what any we of theseeat and trace the patients are indications that lack of or excess amount of some interaction between the cultivated food crops and trace element trace elements may have an adverse effect on human health. geochemistry in soils will determine the amount of the essential There have been many advances in understanding the role of nutritional trace elements our bodies get after eating the food. trace elements in human health but, notwithstanding this fact, Again the potential toxic trace elements such as cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and aluminium (Al) can be the clinical detection and evaluation of trace element deficiency ingested as contaminants in food or in water and depending on the concentrations can harm the population. intoremains the forhuman the most system part maybeextremely too difficult. low and Some will of not the show reasons in for these clinical difficulties are that the ingested trace elements The involuntary ingestion of the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) can results in the emerging diseases [1,2] such as many instances of specific clinical signs and symptoms of a trace cancers, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The authors concern is that the concentrations of some of the trace element concentrations may be low and weak in the local food but can bio- accumulate to exceed the threshold because of availability and bio-accessibility and there will not be early clinical detection. For example the effects of mild iron deficiency in children are without diffuseany recognizable abnormalities specific in clinicalcentral signs nervous and maysystem precede development by a long andperiod function the development in the new born of iron baby deficiency can only beanaemia. traced withSimilarly, great of zinc may lead to diffuse adverse effects on the immune system difficulty to mild maternal iodine deficiency. Also mild deficiency of the
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