Geological etiology and human health

The increase in the number of liver related disease patients from north western region of Ethiopia has been an environmental health issue of national concern. For the protection and conservation of water resource in the study area it is found to be important to characterize the quality of water. Ground water contamination with arsenic fluoride and nitrate recently possesses serious health hazards to a large sector of communities all over the world (Santra 2001). Since sediments and suspended particles are important repositories for trace metals such as chromium copper molybdenum cobalt and manganese studying of sediments of the environment is also found to be vital for characterization of the quality of the environment of the artisanal gold mining sites in and around the study area. This book therefore provides Environmental factors which are mostly considered to explain the etiology of this liver related disease. Therefore this helps researchers in pursuing a wide range of researches on environmental health issues. It would also provide potential support for medical communities in Africa and elsewhere to pursue on possible etiology and risk factors of human health.