Federation University celebrates 151 years of continuous
learning, teaching and research in Geosciences with a series of public
presentations exploring historical, archaeological, economic and social
influences associated with mining in central Victoria.
Toxins and
Treasures - A Medical Geology Story, Assoc Prof Kim Dowling, Federation
University
Abstract: Soil, rocks, air, and water provide the building
blocks for all that we need, but when a landscape is contaminated, our health
can be drastically affected. Kim uses toenails, trees and fungi to demonstrate
the links between environmental health and human health from the Victorian
goldfields to Africa and Asia. Her stories show how the emerging science of
Medical Geology can guide improved health outcomes, resilience and
sustainability for communities.
Biography: Kim began her career as an exploration geologist
and geochemist, however she turned to the emerging field of Medical Geology
because it united her interests in geochemistry, the environment and human
health.
Kim’s focus is on metal mobility in landscapes. She
traces the movement of metals through soil, water, plants and into the food web
and undertakes risk assessments of contaminated land and water for government,
public health agencies and industry.
Kim teaches Environmental Geochemistry at
Federation University and is an active member of the International Medical
Geology Association.