Yunfan Li

June 2017

No update.

December 2016

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr. Nelly Mañay:

The main activities during last semester 2016, from IMGA Uruguay members are highlighted:

Attendance at regional and international conferences, and congresses presenting lectures as invited speakers or showing results of the research studies performed on medical geology topics, in poster and/ or oral sessions.

• Prof. Nelly Mañay 1)Medical Geology Introduction 2) International examples with a Medical Geology Approach-(in Spanish) IV Worshop Internacional de manejo de victimas por hazmat y bioterrorismo, Santiago de Chile, Chile, Nov. 2016. http://www.ritachile.cl/wp-content/uploads/sites/1450/2016/11/4-Workshop-Metales.pdf
• Prof. Nelly Mañay “Metals and Metalloids Health Risks Assessment Issues: Speciation and Toxicity”, I Environmental Toxicology and Health Meeting in the framework of X ALAMCTA Congress Oct,2016. Montevideo Uruguay . http://www.alamcta2016.org/images/Jornada Toxicologia y Salud Ambiental agenda English.pdf
• Prof. Adriana Mezzano ”Evolution knowledge of Technological Soils (Man-Made-Strata) in Uruguay, South America” 35th International Geological Congress 2016. Cape Town, South Africa.http://www.35igc.org/.
• Mañay N. Cousillas,A. and Heller T. Developing exposure biomarkers for environment health impacts assessment to apply Ecohealth and Medical Geology approach in Uruguay. ISEH 2016, ISEG 2016 and Geoinformatics 2016. Galway Ireland, Aug,2016.
• Mañay,N., Bühl,V., Alvarez, C and Pistón M. Challenges on the surveillance of arsenic exposed workers in Uruguay. Proceedings of the Sixth International Congress on Arsenic in the Environment (As 2016), June 19-23, 2016, Stockholm, Sweden. Arsenic Research and Global Sustainability CRC Press 2016 Pages 414–415.
• Bühl,V.,Alvarez, C., Torre, M. H, Pistón, M., Mañay, N. Advances on the analytical development of feasible techniques and validated methods for the determination of arsenic metabolites in urine in Uruguay. Sixth International Congress on Arsenic in the Environment (As2016) Stockholm, Sweden Jun 2016.
• A simple ultrasound-assisted method for the determination of total arsenic in rice using Hydride Generation Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (HG-AAS). Sixth International Congress on
• Arsenic in the Environment (As2016) Stockholm, Sweden Jun 2016. Pistón, M., Machado, I., Belluzzi, M., Pinheiro, F.C., Nóbrega, J.A.s 1.8 Biomonitoreo de trabajadores expuestos: desarrollo de un método para la evaluación de especies de arsénico urinario. 4to Congreso Uruguayo de Química Analítica. 2016, Montevideo, Uruguay Bühl,V., Alvarez, C., Torre, M. H, Pistón, M., Mañay, N.
• Desarrollo de métodos para la determinación de mercurio total y arsénico total en granos y cáscara de arroz de Uruguay. 4to Congreso Uruguayo de Química Analítica. Montevideo, Uruguay .Belluzzi, M.,, Machado, I., , Pinheiro, F.C., Nóbrega, J.A., Pistón, M.

Nelly Mañay with IMGA leaders in ISEH, ISEG and Geoinformatics 2016, Galway Ireland

Short courses on Medical Geology topics in Congresses and Universities

• One day short course presented by Prof. Nelly Mañay in the Geological Uruguayan Society Congress held in 16 – 19 November in Montevideo. “Human exposure to toxic metals and metalloids present in water. Medical Geology approach”(in Spanish). http://www.geo2016.uy/cursos/http://www.geo2016.uy/cursos/.
• 10hs lectures on Metals Toxicology and Medical Geology presented by Prof. Nelly Mañay in a Postgraduate specialization course at the “Universidad de Montevideo”,a non-state University in Uruguay (http://ccb.um.edu.uy/).

Organisation of Scientific Events

• Prof. Mañay, as IMGA chairperson, actively collaborated in the organisation of the joint international conference ISEH 2016, ISEG 2016 and Geoinformatics 2016 held in Galway, Ireland, as IMGA was one of its co-organisers. She chaired the extraordinary IMGA assembly held during the event that was reported in last e-news published in October 2016.
• Prof. Mañay, is currently giving technical and logistical support to the local organizers of MEDGEO 2017 in their developing plans of the scientific activities as well as suggesting some ideas or other kind of support that they request from IMGA and have encouraged all her networking colleagues to submit abstracts to MEDGEO 2017.
• Prof. Cousillas organized and chaired a Symposium Session of Scientific Tools for Environmental Studies in Vulnerable Populations, in the International Congress of Toxicology. IUTOX, Oct. Mexico 2016.

Education

New grade and postgraduated curricular course starting in May 2017!!

June 2016

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr. Nelly Mañay:

Education

As usual, in Faculty of Chemistry, the curricular course of Environmental Toxicology and Medical Geology, was carried on by professors from IMGA chapter members and was attended by pre-grade and post-grade students. Most theorical and practical lectures had links with Medical Geology approach and we continue increasing the classes devoted to Arsenic, Lead, Mercury and Geological aspects of contamination.

PhD students tutored by Mariela Piston and Nelly Mañay, in Faculty of Chemistry are finishing their thesis project. The Toxicology Area of the Faculty of Chemistry has being involved in several multidisciplinary projects with official health and environmental agencies dealing with metals pollution assessment.

Research

Individual members gave lectures in curricular courses and presented their research results in abstracts to Regional and International Congresses ( Ej, As2016, ISEH2016 and 35IGC2016)

Networking – CYTED Proposal

In this period, Chapter members developed activities with the leader, (Dr. Nelly Mañay) to support a proposal to create an Iberoamerican Medical Geology Network that was presented to CYTED, an Spanish funding agency. The project was led by the Spanish and Portuguese Chapters and several Latin America IMGA chapters join the proposal as well.November 2015

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr. Nelly Mañay:

IMGA MEDGEO 2015 Conference, Aveiro, Portugal

The Chapter leader and current IMGA chairperson, Nelly Mañay, presented at MEDGEO 2015 an overview and update of the IMGA Uruguay members activities within their main research lines and its medical geology approach:

• Urban lead contamination and health impacts.
  
• Development of analytical methodologies of metals biomarkers of exposure.
  
• Arsenic and other elements in groundwater as background levels.
  
• Occupational exposure to arsenic and urine metabolites speciation
  
• Nutritional status, heavy metals exposure and development in children.
  
• Medical geology approach in Environmental Education.
  
• Anthropic Soils Evaluation and Risk assessment. It relationship with land planning and it categorization by the presence of Pb, Cd, Cr and Hg.
  
• Trace elements deficiency in cattle associated with some health pathologies
  
• Chemical modeling speciation
  
• Aquatic and terrestrial ecotoxicology, endocrine disruption, cyanobacteria, effluent treatment, remediation and restoration of waterways.
  

It was highlighted that developing Medical Geology research approach, is very successful in Uruguay creating scopes of discussion among researchers and professionals from geosciences and biosciences, to study relevant environmental and health topics in Uruguay. The main aims are those systematic studies on drinking water, food, soil, air and exposure biomarkers, to assess environmental risks on vulnerable populations. This presentation will be published in the website.

Education

This year’s edition of the curricular course “Environmental Toxicology and Medical Geology”, taken by almost 50 students, had an increase of 50% in the number of lectures devoted to Medical Geology aspects of contamination.

Another PhD student is including this new discipline of Medical Geology in her research about Epistemology of Environmental Sciences.

The Toxicology Area of the Faculty of Chemistry is taking the first steps towards the presentation of a program for a Diploma in Medical geology.

June 2015

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr Nelly Manay:

Education

As usual, in the Faculty of Chemistry, the curricular course of Environmental Toxicology and Medical Geology was carried on by professors who are IMGA chapter members. These were attended by undergraduate and postgraduate students. This years’ edition of this course was taken by almost 50 students and had an increase of 75 % in the number of classes devoted to Medical Geology: from 4 to 7, with the new classes being devoted mainly to arsenic and geological aspects of contamination.

A Medical Geology PhD on arsenic issues is being accomplished by an analytical chemistry student tutored by Mariela Piston and Nelly Mañay, in the Faculty of Chemistry. Another PhD student is including the new discipline of Medical Geology in her research about Epistemology of Environmental Sciences. The Toxicology Area of the Faculty of Chemistry is taking the first steps towards the presentation of a Diploma in Medical Geology.

Research

Individual members gave lectures in curricular courses and prepared their research results in abstracts to be presented in MEDGEO 2015 (Aveiro, Portugal). Promotion & Meetings´ Organization In this period, the Chapter leader, Prof. Dr. Manay was invited to several meetings held in Frankfurt (Germany) including the Association Expert Seminar organized by ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) and the annual IMEX exhibition, where she contacted several delegates from international scientific and other associations and its service promoters worldwide. Most activities she attended were on education and promotion, specifically designed for all levels of association executives from 40 countries, in order to learn about how to improve their respective associations membership´s benefits and the organization of conferences, congresses and meetings.

Medical Geology in Uruguay

Uruguay has been involved in the emerging discipline of Medical Geology since 2002, studying metals and metalloids exposure and environment health impacts within the Medical Geology International group (IGCP project # 454) and IMGA.

Environmental Toxicology, Epidemiology, Human and Veterinary Health, as well as Geology, Bioinorganic and Analytical Chemistry studies, have been the basis for the development of Medical Geology in Uruguay. Knowledge and performance of these disciplines have been improved by the joining of research teams and experts from different institutions, together with community delegates, to face environmental health problems arising from metals and metalloids exposure. Medical Geology has also been a topic of discussion in Ecohealth symposiums, to understand the relationships between ecosystems and human health impacts, providing additional sociological studies. The main results of this new scientific approach in Uruguay have been the development of feasible technologies, diagnosis tools, health impairment, with social inclusion as well.

The 3rd Hemispheric Conference on Medical Geology held in Montevideo, 12-16th October, 2009 (www.geologiamedica.com), promoted interdisciplinary discussions and contributions from the geosciences and biosciences scientific communities to share recent advances on environmental and health problem studies in this part of the world, and was the basis of the IMGA Uruguayan Chapter organization.

IMGA Local Chapter in Uruguay

The IMGA Local Chapter in Uruguay was established in 2010. It currently has 18 members consisting of chemists (7), geologists (3), physicians (2), chemical engi-neers (2), veterinarians(3) and biologists (1). The first Uruguay IMGA Chapter formal meeting was held at the Faculty of Chemistry, with very interesting lectures on the research of working groups. These included: environmental surveillance with the development of analytical methodologies for metals and metalloids in biologic and environmental matrices, bioassays, validation and automatization of analytical methodologies, surveillance of toxic ions in aquifers of Uruguay including arsenic and fluorine, and developing technological studies of soils.

The future activities of this chapter will be focused on the addition of new members, with innovative strategies for multidisciplinary research in our country, academics, and on technological and educational activities where a Medical Geology approach is taken into account in the development of future action plans.

March 2018

June 2017

GeoMed[IA] Network. The Portuguese and Spanish chapters (IMGA chapters in Iberia), in collaboration with the local chapters from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay, have led the proposal to create a network of Medical Geology in the Iberoamerican Region (GeoMed[IA] Network). This initiative aims to promote the development of the discipline through its academic, scientific and social implementation in the Ibero-American context, which would ultimately benefit the populations involved by integrating this knowledge into their territorial policy and improving their quality of life.

The Spanish Chapter, IMGA-España, hosted the I International Symposium on Medical Geology in Spain: “Medical Geology: an emerging discipline”. This seminar presented the Medical Geology to the Spanish society by convening for the first time, the first Conference on Medical Geology in the city of Salamanca. This unique and timely conference was held on 19 September 2016 at the campus of the University of Salamanca. The event was organized in collaboration with the University of Salamanca (USAL) and the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME). The conference was attended by colleagues from Portugal, Chile, and other many of our own Spain colleagues nationwide. There was a space dedicated to Medical Geology in Iberia, in which members of Portuguese Chapter (Dr. Eduardo Ferreira da Silva, Chair of Portugal IMGA group, and Dr Carla Patinha, General Secretary of IMGA), and Spanish Chapter (Dr Elena Giménez-Forcada, Chair of the recently established IMGA chapter in Spain) participated. The congress was very well received by both the academic and national public communities, and had a strong social impact both locally and nationally. The conference was attended by about one hundred people and was a clear demonstration for the development of Medical Geology in Spain.

December 2016

No update.

November 2015

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr. Eduardo da Silva:

The Portuguese Chapter hosted the extremely successful MEDGEO15 Conference 24 July-1 August, 2015 at Aveiro University, Portugal (see the conference report from Dr. Eduardo Ferreira da Silva in Medical Geology Newsletter 26).

June 2015

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr. Eduardo da Silva:

No report this time but this IMGA Chapter is organising the MEDGEO15 Conference 26 July – 1st August 2015, Aveiro, Portugal: http://www.medgeo15.web.ua.pt

Papers, Books, and Conference Proceedings by Members:

Albuquerque, T., and Antunes, M., 2010. Probability mapping of arsenic vulnerabilities – risk assessment, a Portuguese study case, in Proceedings, Conference of the International Association for Mathematical Geology, Budapest, Hungary.
Albuquerque, T., and Antunes, M., 2010. Probability mapping of arsenic vulnerabilities – risk assessment, a Portuguese study case, in Proceedings, Conference of the International Association for Mathematical Geology, Budapest, Hungary.
Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Silva, M. C. R., 2009. Spatio-temporal stochastic modelling of alluvium soils contaminated by heavy metals, in Proceedings, Conference of the International Society of Geosciences, Stanford, United States.
Albuquerque, T., Dias, V. H., Poellinger, N., and Pinto, J. F., 2009. Construction of a quality index for granules produced by fluid bed technology by application of the correspondence analysis as a discriminant procedure, International Symposium on Agglomeration, 9th, and International Granulation Workshop, 4th, Sheffield, England.
Albuquerque, T., Dias, V. H., Poellinger, N., and Pinto, J. F., 2010. Construction of a quality index for granules produced by fluidized bed technology and application of the correspondence analysis as a discriminant procedure, European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, v. 75, p. 418-424, doi:10.1016/j.ejpb.2010.04.002.
Albuquerque, M. T., Silva, M. C. R., and Anjos, O. M., 2010. Heavy metals contamination in urban alluvium soils – Loures Valley, Lisbon, Portugal, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 74 Supplement, p. 10, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2010.04.026.
Albuquerque, M. T. D., Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Seco, M. F., 2013. Análise geoquímica de águas subterrâneas – avaliação da vulnerabilidade numa bacia hidrográfica transfronteiriça, in Proceedings, IX Iberic Conference of Geochemistry, Soria, Spain, p. 87.
Albuquerque, M. T. D., Sanz, G., Oliveira, S. F., Martínez- Alegría, R., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2013. Spatio-Temporal Groundwater Vulnerability Assessment – A Coupled Remote Sensing and GIS Approach for Historical Land Cover Reconstruction, Water Resources Management, v. 27, doi:10.1007/s11269-013-0422-0.
Albuquerque, M. T. D., Oliveira, S. F., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2013. Surface water quality and definition of risk areas – DRASTIC pesticide index approach, Japan Geoscience Union Meeting, Tokyo, Japan.
Albuquerque, T., Antunes, M., and Seco, F., 2014. Contaminação de águas subterrâneas: avaliação de vulnerabilidade em uma bacia hidrográfica transfronteiriça ibérica, Lourenço, Luciano, ed. lit. Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra: [s.n.], Cap. Livro: Multidimensão e territórios de risco, p. 819-824, doi:10.14195/978-989-96253-3-4_144.
Albuquerque, M. T. D., Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Seco, M. F., 2014. Spatial distribution patterns of groundwater contaminants in a transboundary watershed, 14o Congresso Nacional de Geotecnia Geotecnia nas Infraestruturas e 4a Jornadas Luso- Espanholas de Geotecnia Geotecnia em Obras de Reabilitação, Reparação e Manutenção, Covilhã.
Albuquerque, M. T. D., Antunes, I. M. H. R., Seco, M. F. M., Oliveira, S. F., and Sanz, G., 2014. Sequential Gaussian Simulation of Uranium Spatial Distribution – A Transboundary Watershed Case Study, Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, v. 8, p. 2-6, doi:10.1016/j.proeps.2014.05.002.
Almeida, C. F., Neiva, A. M. R., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2009. U-bearing quartz veins and related waters from Mondego Sul mine (Central Portugal), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 73 Supplement, p. 30.
Almeida, P., Carvalho, N., Oliveira, N., Silva, A., Antunes, M., Ferreira, A., and Albuquerque, T., 2011. Characterization of the impact caused by the discharges of a wastewater treatment plant into a fluvial leisure area – a Portuguese exemple, in Proceedings, International Conference on Medical Geology, 4th, Bari, Italy.
Alves, Z., Muranho, J., Albuquerque, T., Ferreira, A., 2014. Water Distribution Network’s Modeling and Calibration – A Case Study based on Scarce Inventory Data, Procedia Engineering, v. 70, p. 31-40, doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2014.02.005.
Anjos, O., Roque, N., Lidónio, E., Albuquerque, T., Peres, F., and Antunes, M., 2010. Floral Monitoring and Biophysics parameters as a tool to beekeepers installation decision, in Proceedings, Agile International Conference on Geographic Information Science, 13th, Guimarães, Portugal.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2009. Two contrasting Ordovician and Variscan plutons at Central Iberian Zone (Central Portugal), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 73 Supplement p. 46.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2012. Fundão pluton: New constraints on its geochemistry and geodynamic, in Henriques, M. H., Andrade, P. S., Lopes, F. C, Pena dos Reis, R., Quinta Ferreira, M., and Barata, M. T., eds., I Congresso Internacional Geociências na CPLP, p. 75, ISBN 9789729564086/9789899782303.
Antunes, M., and Albuquerque, T., 2010. Urban arsenic risk assessment, a Portuguese case study, GeoMod 2010, Lisbon, Portugal.
Antunes, M., and Albuquerque, T., 2011. Use of Factorial Correspondence Analysis to evaluate water pollution and vulnerability of a Portuguese abandoned mining area, Environmental Health – Resetting our Priorities, Salvador, Brazil.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., 2013. Using indicator kriging for the evaluation of arsenic potential contamination in an abandoned mining area (Portugal), Science of the Total Environment, v. 442, p. 545–552, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.10.010.
Antunes, M., and Albuquerque, T., 2014. Mapeamento da probabilidade de contaminação em arsénio numa área mineira abandonada (Centro de Portugal), usando a Krigagem da indicatriz, Lourenço, Luciano, ed. lit. Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra: [s.n.], Cap. Livro: Multidimensão e territórios de risco, p. 501-506, doi:10.14195/978-989-96253-3-4_86.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Solá, A. R., 2012. As rochas graníticas desde Castelo Branco a Portalegre, in Andrade, P. S., Quinta-Ferreira, M., and Lopes, F. C., eds., Excursões Científicas Volume 2: I Congresso Internacional Geociências na CPLP, p. 11-24, ISBN 9789729564093/9789899782310.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., and Silva, M. M. V. G., 2008. Environmental contamination associated with some abandoned mines at Central Portugal, in Rapantova and Hrkal, eds., Mine Water and the Environment Proceedings, p. 351–354, ISBN 9788024817675.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., Silva, M. M. V. G., and Corfu, F., 2008. Geochemistry of S-type granitic rocks from the reversely zoned Castelo Branco pluton (central Portugal), Lithos, v. 103, p. 445-465, doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2007.10.003.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A., Silva, M., and Corfu, F., 2008. The Genesis of I- and S-type granitoid rocks of the Early Ordovician Oledo pluton, Central Iberian Zone (Central Portugal), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 72 Supplement, p. 29.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., Silva, M. M. V. G., and Corfu, F., 2009. The genesis of I- and S-type granitoid rocks of the Early Ordovician Oledo pluton, Central Iberian Zone (central Portugal), Lithos, v. 111, p. 168-185, doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2008.07.014.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., Silva, M. M. V. G., Ramos, J. M. F., and Silva, P. B., 2009. Geochemistry of Li-bearing aplite-pegmatite veins from Cabeço Queimado and associated granitic rocks (Segura, Central Portugal), in Mariano and Pinho Guimarães, eds., Estudos Geológicos, v. 19, p. 40-44.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., and Silva, M. M. V. G., 2010. Petrology and geochemistry of granitic rocks from Castelo Branco-Idanha-a-Nova area (central Portugal), in Cotelo Neiva, J. M., Ribeiro, A., Mendes Victor, L., Noronha, F., and Magalhães Ramalho, M., eds., Ciências Geológicas: Ensino, Investigação e sua História, v. I: Lisbon, ISBN 9789899666900.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., Silva, M. M. V. G., and Corfu, F., 2010. Lower Ordovician and Variscan magmatism at Central Iberian Zone of Portugal: Isotopic constraints, in Flores and Marques, eds., Mem no 14: University of Oporto, ISSN 0871607.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., Silva, M. M. V. G., and Silva P. B., 2010. Mineralogy from Li-bearing aplite-pegmatite veins of Segura, in Cotelo Neiva, J. M., Ribeiro, A., Mendes Victor, L., Noronha, F., and Magalhães Ramalho, M., eds., Ciências Geológicas: Ensino, Investigação e sua História, v. I: Lisbon, p. 3-14, ISBN 9789899666900.
Antunes, I. M., Gomes, M. E., Neiva, A. M., and Teixeira, R., 2010. Contamination of waters related to abandoned W-Sn mines (Murçós, NE Portugal), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 74 Supplement, p. 27.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., and Silva, M. M. V. G., 2011. The zoned pluton from Castelo Branco: Geochemistry and Petrogenesis, in Antunes, I. M. H. R., Almeida, J. P. F., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., eds., VIII Geochemistry Iberian Conference, v. I, p. 185-189, ISBN 9789898196163.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Oliveira, S. F., 2013. Groundwater contamination potential-vulnerability assessment, Mineralogical Magazine, v. 77, p. 600, doi:10.1180/minmag.2013.077.5.1.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Oliveira, S. F., 2013. Groundwater contamination potential-vulnerability assessment, Goldschmidt Conference, Florence, Italy.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Sanches, F., 2013. Modelação geoquímica na região Lardosa (Castelo Branco): Uma ferramenta de gestão ambiental, in Proceedings, IX Iberic Conference of Geochemistry, Soria, Spain, p. 45.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Seco, M. F., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., 2013. Spatial vulnerability assessment and stochastic modeling of groundwater contamination in a transboundary watershed, 14th EuCheMS International Conference on Chemistry and the Environment, Barcelona, Spain.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., Ramos, J. M. F., Silva, P. B., Silvab, M. M. V. G., and Corfu, F., 2013. Petrogenetic links between lepidolite-subtype aplite-pegmatite, aplite veins and associated granites at Segura (central Portugal), Chemie der Erde – Geochemistry, v. 73, p. 323–341, doi:10.1016/j.chemer.2012.12.003.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Sanches, F. A. N., 2014. Spatial risk assessment related to abandoned mining activities: an environmental management tool, Environmental Earth Sciences, v. 72, p. 2631-2641, doi:10.1007/s12665-014-3170-4.
Antunes, I. M. H. R., Albuquerque, M. T. D., Seco, M. F. M., Oliveira, S. F., and Sanz, G., 2014. Uranium and Arsenic Spatial Distribution in the Águeda Watershed Groundwater, Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, v. 8, p. 13–17, doi:10.1016/j.proeps.2014.05.004.
Campos, F., Velasco, T., Sanz, G., Casanueva, P., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2014. Ischnura graellsii (Insecta: Odonata) A Water Pollution Biovulnerability Indicator — Probability Mapping Using Spacial Uncertainty, River Research and Applications, doi:10.1002/rra.2839.
Carvalho, N., Oliveira, N., Almeida, P., Silva, A., Antunes, I. M. H. R., Ferreira, A., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., 2011. Caracterização do impacte ambiental provocado pelas descargas de Estações de Tratamento de Águas Residuais no Rio Ocreza, II Encontro de Sistemas de Informação Geográfica – Aplicações SIG em Recursos Agro – Florestais e Ambientais, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
Carvalho, N., Oliveira, N., Silva, A., Almeida, P., Antunes, I. M. H. R., Ferreira, A. M., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., 2011. Pollutant Dispersion Model in Streams under the influence of waste water treatment plant discharges – a Portuguese case study, in Antunes, I. M. H. R., Almeida, J. P. F., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., eds., VIII Geochemistry Iberian Conference, v. II, p. 687-690, ISBN 9789898196163.
Gomes, M. E. P., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2010. Geochemistry of stream sediments and sois from Fonte Santa old mine (Lagoaça, NE of Portugal), in Flores and Marques, eds., Mem no 14: University of Oporto, ISSN 0871607.
Gomes, E. M., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2011. The granite of Coentral revisited U-Pb zircon age, in Antunes, I. M. H. R., Almeida, J. P. F., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., eds., VIII Geochemistry Iberian Conference, v. I, p. 235-241, ISBN 9789898196163.
Gomes, M. E. P., Antunes, I. M. H. R., Neiva, A. M. R., Silva, P. B., and Rodrigues, A. M., 2010. Geochemistry of waters associated with the old mine workings at Fonte Santa (NE of Portugal), Journal of Geochemical Exploration, v. 105. p. 153-165, doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2010.05.001.
Gomes, M., Antunes, I., Pacheco, F., Neiva, A., and Silva, P., 2010. Weathering and hydrochemistry associated with the old mine workings at Fonte Santa (NE of Portugal), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 74 Supplement, p. 344.
Gomes, M. E. P., Antunes, I. M. H. R., Teixeira, R. J. S., Neiva, A. M. R., and Santos A., 2011. Geochemistry of minerals of W-Sn veins and waters from Múrços old mines (NE Portugal), in Antunes, I. M. H. R., Almeida, J. P. F., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., eds., VIII Geochemistry Iberian Conference, v. I, p. 111, ISBN 9789898196163.
Goovaerts, P., Albuquerque, T., and Antunes, M., 2013. A Spatial statistical Approach for Sedimentary Gold Exploration: A Portuguese Case Study, Mathematics of Planet Earth Lecture Notes in Earth System Sciences 2014, p. 545-548, doi:10.1007/978-3-642-32408-6_119.
Goovaerts, P., Albuquerque, T., and Antunes, M., 2013. A spatial statistical approach for sedimentary gold exploration – a Portuguese case study, IAMG International Conference, Madrid, Spain.
Kjeldsen, T.R., et al., 2014. Documentary evidence of past floods in Europe and their utility in flood frequency estimation. Journal of Hydrology, v. 517, p. 963-973, doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.06.038.
Martín, I. M., Martín, M. J. S., Antunes, I. M. H. R., Albuquerque, M. T. D., Sánchez–Bordona, F. C., and Lobón, G. S., 2013. The ÁGUEDA project: a supporting tool to transboundary watershed management, TWAM International Conference and Workshops, Transboundary water management across borders and interfaces, present and future challenges, Aveiro, Portugal.
Martinéz-Alegría, R., Sanz, G., Oliveira, S. F., Albuquerque, M. T. D., Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Montequi, I., 2013. Teledección y Fotointerpretación para el estudio de la evolución de la cuenca del río Águeda, IV Encontro de Sistemas de Informação Geográfica, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
Martínez-Alegría, R., Sanz, G., Taboada, J., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2014. Unconfined Aquifer Vulnerability Related to Topical Pollution Episodes – Montes Torozos (Spain), Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, v. 8, p. 75–80, doi:10.1016/j.proeps.2014.05.016.
Mestre, S., Alegria, C., Albuquerque, T., and Goovaert, P., 2011. Using GIS and geostatistics for forest productivity spatial modeling, livro de actas, II Encontro De Sistemas de Informação Geográfica, ESA-IPCB.
Mestre, S., Alegria, C., Albuquerque, T., and Goovaerts, P., 2011. Using GIS and Geostatistics for mapping forest productivity: a case study of maritime pine stands (Pinus pinaster Aiton) in center inland of Portugal, in Proceedings, AAG Annual meeting, Seattle, Washington.
Mota Pais, M. F. A., Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., 2012. Aquifer system’s vulnerability for Fadagos-Nisa’s catchment (Alentejo, Portugal) Using DRASTIC Index, in Lopes, F. C., Andrade, A. I., Henriques, M. H., Quinta-Ferreira, M., Barata, M. T., and Pena dos Reis, R., eds., Para Conhecer a Terra Memórias e Notícias de Geociências no Espaço Lusófono, v. I: Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra, Cap. 6.
Mota Pais, M. A., Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., 2012. Vulnerability mapping in a thermal zone, Portugal – a study based on DRASTIC index and GIS, in Gensel, J., Josselin, D., and Vandenbroucke, D., eds., Multidisciplinary Research on Geographical Information in Europe and Beyond, Proceedings of the AGILE 2012 International Conference on Geographic Information Science, Avignon, France, ISBN 9789081696005.
Neiva, A., Antunes, I., Carvalho, P., and Silva, M., 2008. The impacts of Sn-W, Ba-Pb-Zn and W-Au-Sb old mine workings on the environment at central Portugal, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 72 Supplement, p. 67.
Neiva, A. M. R., Williams, I. S., Ramos, J. M., Gomes, M. E. P., Silva, M. M. V. G., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2009. Geochemical and isotopic constraints on the petrogenesis of Early Ordovician granodiorite and Variscan two-mica granites from the Gouveia area, central Portugal, Lithos, v. 111, p. 186-202, doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2009.01.005.
Oliveira, N., Almeida, P., Carvalho, N., Silva, A., Antunes, I. M. H. R., Ferreira, A., and Albuquerque, T., 2011. The environmental impact of sewage effluent discharges in the Pracana River – Portugal, Mineralogical Magazine, v. 75, p. 1567.
Pereira, E., Antunes, I. M., and Monteiro, M. C., 2010. Environmental geochemistry of Argemela Mine area (Barco, Central Portugal), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 74 Supplement, p. 805.
Reis, A. I., Silva, M. M., and Antunes, I. M., 2009. Geochemistry of the Vila Nova granitic pluton (Central Portugal), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 73 Supplement, p. 1086.
Roque, N., Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Albuquerque, T., 2012. Geochemical Modeling approach in Lardosa region (Castelo Branco, Portugal): an environmental management tool, International Symposium on Environmental Geochemistry, 9th, Aveiro, Portugal.
Sanz, G., Martinéz-Alegría, R., Oliveira, S. F., Albuquerque, M. T. D., Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Montequi, I., 2013. Cohesión Cartográfica en Proyectos Transfronterizos: El proyecto AGUEDA, IV Encontro de Sistemas de Informação Geográfica, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
Silva, A., Carvalho, N., Almeida, P., Oliveira, N., Antunes, I. M. H. R., Ferreira, A., and Albuquerque, T., 2011. The impact associated to wastewaters treatment plant discharges into a fluvial system (Central Portugal), Mineralogical Magazine, v. 75, p. 1874.
Silva, M. C. R., Ribeiro, L. F. T., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., 2008. Environmental impact of the agricultural and industrial activities in the fertile valley of Loures – Construction of risk cartography, in Proceedings, International Geological Congress, 33rd, Oslo, Norway.
Silva, M. C. R., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Ribeiro, L., 2010. Use of Water quality index to evaluate the influence of anthropogenic contamination of groundwater chemistry of a shallow aquifer, Loures Valley, Lisbon, Portugal, in Paliwal, B.S., ed., Global Groundwater Resources and Management: Selected Papers from the 33rd International Geological Congress, Oslo, Norway, August, 2008: Scientific Publishers, ISBN 9788172336196.
Silva, C., Albuquerque, T., and Ribeiro, L., 2012. Assessing vulnerability of a Tejo aquifer system in the Setúbal peninsula (Portugal) by a specific index based on land use criteria, IAH International Conference, Niagara Falls, Canada.
Silva, M. M. V. G., Gomes, M. E., Antunes, I. M. H. R., and Neiva, A. M. R., 2012. Geochemistry of stream waters close to the Montesinho Sn-mine, NE, in Henriques, M. H., Andrade, P. S., Lopes, F. C, Pena dos Reis, R., Quinta Ferreira, M., and Barata, M. T., eds., I Congresso Internacional Geociências na CPLP, p. 326, ISBN 9789729564086/9789899782303.
Sousa, M. L. P., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2011. Delimitação de perímetros de protecção para as captações das Eirinhas (Casal da Serra, Concelho de Castelo Branco), II Encontro de Sistemas de Informação Geográfica – Aplicações SIG em Recursos Agro- Florestais e Ambientais, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
Sousa, M. L. P., Albuquerque, M. T. D., and Antunes, I. M. H. R., 2011. Groundwater protection perimeter delimitation as a tool for water resources management – the Eirinhas Case study, in Antunes, I. M. H. R., Almeida, J. P. F., and Albuquerque, M. T. D., eds., VIII Geochemistry Iberian Conference, v. II, p. 699-702, ISBN 9789898196163.
Sousa, M., Albuquerque, T., and Antunes, I. M. H. R, 2012. Critical evaluation to the application of analytical methods in the limits of perimeter security for funding in the Gardunha area, in Henriques, M. H., Andrade, P. S., Lopes, F. C, Pena dos Reis, R., Quinta Ferreira, M., and Barata, M. T., eds., I Congresso Internacional Geociências na CPLP, p. 302, ISBN 9789729564086/9789899782303.
Sousa, M., Albuquerque, M. T., and Antunes, I. M., 2013. Investing in sustainable catchment water abstraction security design in the Gardunha area (Portugal), in Cavaleiro, V., Pinto, I., Ferreira Gomes, L. M., Gomes, C., Lopes, S., and Bernardo, L., eds., The TWIN International Conferences on Civil Engineering-Towards a Better Environment and The Concrete Future: Premier Pte Ltd, Singapore, ISBN 9789810760663.
Teixeira, R., Antunes, I. M., and Neiva, A., 2010. U-bearing minerals from the Picoto uranium mine area, Central Portugal, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 74 Supplement, p. 1034.

June 2017

No update.

December 2016

No update.

June 2016

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr. Iosif Volfson.  (Abridged by the webmaster from the complete report, with photos, in the member section):

MedGeo 2017 Preparation Status

Over the past six months, the following steps have been taken for organization of MedGeo2017:

1. Web-site (www.medgeo2017.org) is launched and its main sections are filled with the respective information.

2. The system of registration is activated.  A participant may register via website, submit abstracts and pay registration fee.

3. The venue is chosen:

Hotel Salut 4*
Address: 119571, Russia, Moscow, Leninskiy prospect, 158

Yugo-Zapadnaya and Troparevo metro stations are15 minutes away on foot (the hotel provides a free shuttle to the metro station according to schedule. During the event, we can arrange a shuttle timed to the beginning of the meeting).

Hotel Salut 4 * is chosen by many guests visiting Moscow. The hotel complex was built in 1980 for the Olympic Games. Today the hotel staff does the best to meet the demands of tourists and businessmen by giving good and various services. Hotel Salut 4* is located in the South-West of Moscow, in a 15-minute walk from Troparevsky forest park and Yugo-Zapadnaya metro station, as well as in a 10 minutes walk from Troparevo metro station. In 25 – 30 minutes, you will be able to reach Red Square and the Kremlin museums. Hotel Salut 4 * offers 1091 rooms of different categories with cable TV, telephone and a set of tea and coffee. The bathroom includes a set of cosmetic accessories, hair dryer.

Conference halls of Hotel Salute 4* will enable you to hold the event at the highest level. Hotel Salute 4* has significant opportunities for business meetings, presentations, negotiations, seminars, conferences and trainings in conference rooms. We offer our clients three big conference-halls. “Blue” conference hall has 324 chairs with desks, “Red” conference hall can seat up to 200 persons (seating type – theatre) and up to 80 persons (seating type – class), “Green” conference hall can seat up to 100 persons (seating type – theatre) and up to 60 persons (seating type – class). There are also 5 negotiation rooms that can seat up from 20 to 70 persons (seating type – theatre) and from 12 to 40 persons (seating type – class).

Currently, we are trying to attract participants to the event in different directions. By this time MedGeo’17 Organizing Committee has informed about the 7th IMGA Symposium is to be held in Moscow participants and guests as well as members of Organizing Committees of some international and local events in the field of medical geology and keeps in touch with many of them personally.

September 14-17, 2015 at the International Conference on Amber in the History of Medicine held in Kaliningrad, Russia. Volfson I.F., ROSGEO, Moscow gave the report “From the History of Medical Mineralogy” and distributed leaflets. The main audience of the event: geologists, medical persons, education workers, specialists in history of medicine, museum workers, experts in chemical technology.

September 24-25, 2015 at the All-Russian conference “Industrial Medicine – 2015” (Clinical hospital #85 FMBA of Russia, Moscow) Volfson I.F., ROSGEO, Moscow gave the report “Scientific and Methodical Bases of Health and Economic Studies in Geology and Subsoil Use”. The main audience of the event: specialists in functional and radiation diagnosis, cardiologists, pulmonologists, ultrasound specialists, internists, pediatricians, doctors of sports medicine, occupational diseases , early diagnosis specialists (donozologiya).

October 14-16, 2015 at the conference “Rehabilitation and Prevention – 2015” (in medicine and psychology) (I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow) leaflets were distributed. The main audience of the event: experts in the field of sports medicine, rehabilitation medicine, osteopathy and manual therapy, balneology, physiotherapy, physical therapy, massage, sports medicine, neurology, cardiology, pediatrics, urology, oncology, gynecology, clinical psychology, osteopathy and manual therapy and other.

November 7-11, 2015 at the All-Russian conference “Chemical Analysis and Medicine” in section “Solving the Problems of Human Ecology and Sanitary – Hygienic Control” (IGIC RAS, Moscow) Volfson I.F., ROSGEO, Moscow gave the report “Chemical Elements in the Human Body and Methods of Their Determination”. The main audience of the event: Russian and foreign experts in the field of chemistry, medicine and related scientific fields.

November 12-15, 2015 at the International 2nd Medical Geology Symposium held in Konya / Turkey. Volfson I.F., ROSGEO, Moscow gave the report “Medical Radiogeoecology as Branch of Medical Geology” and distributed leaflets. The main audience of the event: geologist, geochemists, medical persons, hydrogeologists, epidemiologists, toxicologists, radiologists, mineralogists.

March 17-18, 2016 information on MedGeo2017 was distributed at the II International Congress “Spa Treatment” (Hotel “Cosmos”, Moscow). The scientific program of the Congress highlighted the problems of studying, recording and protection of natural healing resources of Russia, research on use of physical agents in clinical medicine based on the principles of evidence-based medicine, study of quality and therapeutic properties of mineral waters of the outdoor and indoor use, mechanisms of therapeutic action of natural and premature medicinal factors, impact of global climate change on human health, development of new technologies in improving medicine and active longevity medicine, training for the modernization of sanatorium care system, regulatory, management and services in sanatoria and health resorts, etc. Leaflets were distributed among participants of the event.

April 12-14, 2016 at exhibition “Research Expo” MedGeo2017 was presented to companies for the first time. Most companies are not familiar with the area of medical geology, although they are engaged in analytical studies. To attract them to participate we will clarify tasks and focus areas of medical geology and the interdisciplinary nature of the event. “Research Expo” is the largest exhibition in Russia, where domestic and international developments in the field of laboratory equipment, chemical analysis technology, chemicals and materials are exhibited. Visitors of the exhibition are specialists of Russian scientific and industrial laboratories from different industries (chemical, pharmaceutical, food, medical, environmental, oil and gas, construction, metallurgy and other), science, health care, public institutions. Participants of the exhibition are the main domestic and foreign manufacturers of modern and reliable laboratory equipment, analytical instruments and chemical reagents, who are continuously improving their available ranges.

August 27 – September 04, 2016 information on MedGeo2017 will be distributed at the 35 International Geological Congress is to be held in Cape Town.

August 13 – 16, 2016 information on MedGeo2017 will be distributed at the V International Conference «Radioactivity and Radioactive Elements in Human Wellbeing» is to be held in Tomsk, Russia.

Until May 15, 2016 we will post general information on hotel accommodation and social program on the Conference website.

Contacts

Scientific Secretary

Iosif Volfson
tel. +7 (495) 952-67-00
e-mail: rosgeo@yandex.ru

Technical Secretariat

Should you have any questions regarding

• online registration
• hotel reservation
• field excursions (tours) and social program
• payment of registration fees
• abstract submission
• transfers etc.

Please contact Technical Secretariat of the Congress – Trialogue Ltd.:
Ida Baykova
tel.: +7 (926) 493-35-40, +7 (499) 390-34-38 fax: +7 (499) 137-34-79
e-mail: medgeo2017@confreg.org

Sponsorship and Participation in the Exhibition

Andrey Rodin
tel. +7 (499) 390-34-38, +7(926) 155-23-45
e-mail: medgeo2017@yandex.ru

Ilya Gudovich
tel. +7 (499) 390-34-38, +7 (916) 528-71-05
e-mail: medgeo2017@yandex.ru

October 2015

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr. Iosif Volfson.  (Abridged by the webmaster from the complete report, with photos, in the member section):

Activities of the IMGA Chapter Russia-NIS during this reporting period were very different. First of all a Chapter prepared and presented proposal for holding IMGA Symposium MedGeo17 in the capital of Russia Moscow on August 28 – September 01, 2017 and got the opportunity to organize it. The proposal was successfully presented at the International Conference on Medical Geology MedGeo’15 held in Aveiro, Portugal, on July 25 – August 01, 2015 and approved with participants of the conference.

A recognized success of MedGeo’15 is possible to repeat but difficult to surpass. Indeed, the organizers of MedGeo’15 have surpassed themselves and done fantastic job which was highly appreciated with 125 medical geologists represented 36 countries. Russia and NIS were presented at the conference with research workers from Tomsk Polytechnic University (Dr. Leonid Rikhvanov, Dr. Natalia Baranovskaya, and post graduate student Bulat Soktoyev) as well as Russian Geological Society (Dr. Iosif Volfson and medical person, therapist and hematologist, Gulnara Taumanova. A poster presented from ROSGEO Mining Production: Cause of Eye Pathology at MedGeo’15 was composed by Dr. Iosif Volfson, Dr. Igor Pechenkin, Dr. Evgeny Farrakhov and Dr. Yelena Kremkova (ophtalmologist).

Other activities:

• September 13-17, 2015.  A conference on Amber in the History of Medicine was organized and successfully held in Kaliningrad (the Russian Baltic territory) jointly by the Kaliningrad Territorial Amber Museum and Baltic Federal University.  An exhibition titled Amber: Myths and the Reality was opened at Kaliningrad Territorial Amber Museum simultaneously with the conference on Amber in the History of Medicine.
• September 24-25.  A conference on Industrial Medicine was held at the Moscow hospital N #85 of Federal Agency on Medicine and Biology (Moscow). Two representatives from ROSGEO Medical Geology Division (MGD), MGD Chair Iosif Volfson and Natalya Usova, participated in the conference.
• September 28 – October 3.  In the Kamchatka region (city of Petropavlovsk – Kamchatsky), a conference held devoted to the 100th anniversary of the start of regular seismic monitoring in the Kamchatka territory.  The conference was held at the Institute for Volcanology and Seismology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (the Far East branch of RAS) with some meetings taking place at the Kamchatka branch of Geophisical Service under Russian Academy of Sciences.
• September 29.  Iosif Volfson practiced NIS Chapter Stimulus Contest Award. He presented a proposal on minimization of natural factors (geological factors, mainly) effect on human health in front of the audience of the Council for the Science and Innovations under a Governor of the Kamchatka region. The proposal was devoted to the staging of interdisciplinary research on geology and health in the territory of the Kamchatka peninsula (Russia) of volcano and seismic activity.
• October 7.  Russian Geological Society (ROSGEO) 1-st Vice-President Evgeny Farrakhov, ROSGEO Science Secretary, IMGA Councillor Iosif Volfson, and Trialog Ltd. Director Deputy Natalya Usova successfully presented MedGeo’17 to be held in Moscow on August 28 –September 01, 2017 in Moscow, Russia at Ministry of Natural Resources of Russian Federation (Ministry). The MedGeo’17 proposal was approved with Ministry’s officials.
• November 12-15.  Chair Iosif Volfson is going to Konya, Turkey where the 2nd International Conference on Medical Geology will be held. He will present at the conference as a key speaker.
• October – November.  More conferences in ecology and health will be held in Russia. We are planning to participate and promote MedGeo’17 which will be held in Moscow on August 28 – September 1, 2017.

June 2015

6-month report from Local Chapter Leader Dr. Iosif Volfson:

The most notable events happening in the life of IMGA Chapter N.I.S. for last 6 months were as follows.

A workshop on actual problems of geoecology with stress on medical geology research in Russia and N.I.S. held at Moscow Mining University on the 27th of February. IMGA and ROSGEO members lectured there. Russian speaking IMGA members can listen to them and watch at the 1st Geological Internet Chanel on YouTube (internet links see below).

• Iosif Volfson. Medical and environmental problems of geology and the bowel use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gORuzqlzUkU
  
• Igor Pechenkin. Objective monitoring at mining production https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLAADCbGpPw
  
• Alexander Vercheba. Medical Geology as discipline in educational programmes of mining and geological universities and colleges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC-lcfsI87I
  
• Igor Petrov. Arsenic in environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_MeFVDgKeY

The Mexican Chapter has worked on various Medical Geology activities in this period, including the publication of scientific papers in international journals, and the participation in Conferences with lectures related with Medical Geology such as the International Conference As 2014. 

The most remarkable activity in the past 6 months was the organization of the Second International Conference on Medical Geology, within the framework of the 30th anniversary of the “Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua” (Autonomous University of Chihuahua) Engineering Faculty. The program included relevant topics on Medical Geology worldwide and in México. The opening keynote conference entitled “Antecedents, current state and future of International Medical Geology“ was given (in Spanish) by José Centeno. Saverio Fiore participated with the keynote lecture “Natural occurring asbestos in Basilicata, South Italy; an integrated approach for assessing the environmental risk” (also in Spanish), and María Aurora Armienta gave the keynote lecture “Overview of Medical Geology in Mexico”. The audience, with the participation of more than 200 students, besides University professors was very enthusiastic and interested on all the lectures including those given by local members of IMGA and listed below:

– Alejandro Villalobos A and Vanessa V. Espejel G: Geology in Chihuahua State and its relation with health
– María de Lourdes Ballinas C:Fluoride
– María del Carmen González H: Arsenic
– Luis Humberto Colmenero S and María de Lourdes Villalba: Radioactivity and its relation with health 

This successful event was an outstanding opportunity to inform about Medical Geology and promote the recruitment of new IMGA members. A fruitful interchange of ideas encompassed the whole day of conferences. It was also a remarkable opportunity to talk about the Mexican Chapter and make plans of future activities. After a full day of hard work, a special dinner of local food was offered by the organizers to the speakers that became a joyful occasion full of friendship and good wishes. The Mexican Chapter is especially grateful to José Centeno and Saverio Fiore for their remarkable lectures and for having spent these days with us.

See the Members Section of the website for additonal reporting.