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Environment and Public Health

Mineral abundance in rocks, soils, and water defines the geochemical landscape. Minerals directly interact with all biota, influencing nutrient availability, toxic element concentration, vegetation distribution, and the general health of ecosystems. The USGS conducts environmental and public health studies in conjunction with land management agencies, biologists, medical professionals, States, universities, and industry. The USGS supplies objective mineral information, research, and assessments to aid in prioritization, mitigation, restoration, and regulatory policy formulation. Current program activities include examining how minerals affect ecosystem health; assessing abandoned mine lands; characterizing the source, transport, and fate of mercury and arsenic; and developing regional and national geochemical and geophysical baseline and background maps and databases.

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U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey
Mineral Resources Program
913 National Center
Reston, VA 20192 USA

URL:  http://minerals.usgs.gov/environment.html
Maintained by:  Joseph Gambogi (jgambogi@usgs.gov)
Last modification:  26-Nov-2003@08:25

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Contact: Mineral Resources Program Coordinator (minerals@usgs.gov)