Urban Geochemistry and Human Health

The sustainability of cities is typically evaluated by transportation, energy, and economic metrics, but increasingly, environmental quality and human health have become primary targets to ensure safe and habitable cities. Population density and industrialization history have resulted in urban contaminant legacies, which can impact the health of urban populations. The integration of environmental assessment and human exposure and health studies is in its infancy, but the future potential is high because of the capacity for integrated geospatial and geotemporal studies to explain and predict healthy urban environments. Here we provide two examples of studies integrating metal geochemistry and human health impacts in cities: (1) an analysis of the legacy of urban lead (Pb) and its continued impact on urban populations, and (2) the impacts that multi-metal exposures have on male semen quality and fertility. These studies reveal the complicated layering of environment, exposure, uptake, and human health status in cities, and call for more efforts and support of integrating earth/health science studies.