151 Golden Years Celebration: Toxins and Treasures - A Medical Geology Story
From Stephanie Davison
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From Stephanie Davison
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.