Chemical Toxicants in Water: A GeoHealth Perspective in the Context of Climate Change

Abstract

The editorial focuses on four major themes contextualized in a virtual GeoHealth workshop that occurred from June 14 to 16, 2021. Topics in that workshop included drinking water and chronic chemical exposure, environmental injustice, public health and drinking water policy, and the fate, transport, and human impact of aqueous contaminants in the context of climate change. The intent of the workshop was to further define the field of GeoHealth . This workshop emphasized on chemical toxicants that drive human health. The major calls for action emerged from the workshop include enhancing community engagement, advocating for equity and justice, and training the next generation.

The US Geological Survey Plans to Severely Curtail the National Pesticide Synthesis Project

“…In addition, understanding how pesticide exposure leads to health outcomes is particularly important with respect to health equity and social determinants of health (Joseph, Libunao, et al, 2022). As an example, Donley et al (2022) noted clear differences in urinary pesticide concentrations across demographic groups, with African American and Hispanic populations demonstrating concentrations higher than the geometric mean of the overall population, while people from the White demographic exhibited concentrations below the geometric mean.…”