1. Geochemistry and anthropogenic activities can adversely affect human health the southwest of China(Guizhou Province) skeletal fluorosis is endemic and afflicts approximately 10 million people[11 The root cause for the severe bone deformations that are a ssociated with this disease(Fig 1) is coal that contains comparatively high concentra- of nuorine(200-1513 ppm) and is burned inside dwellings thus exposing humans to toxic fluorine species This particul prochemistry-related public health crisis exemplifies how regional Brochemical conditions in combination with human activities can se- verely impact human health. what makes this regional tragedy par combination of ticulurty important is that the underlying factors prochemical conditions and human activities can adversely affect human health everywhere on earth. Given that the earth's crust con- tains-90 chemical elements and that some of them are essential for mammals whereas others are toxic. it is evident that inadequate die- taey intakes of chemical elements can eventually result in adverse health effects, which afects-300 million people in China For many pievous human diseases, however. their ebology is en- terfy unknown(Table 1) D-sp Since the completion of the human