Our environment is the entire web of geological and biological interactions that characterize the relationship between life and the planet Earth. Essential and toxic elements in bedrock or soils may become a direct risk for human and animal health and may be the underlying cause of both deficiency and' toxicity. Some naturally occurring elements are necessary for our well-being, while others are detrimental to our health. Naturally occurring elements can have detrimental effects on health when ingested in increasing quantities. Metals have always existed and will forever exist, but we cannot avoid the fact that the health of human beings and animals is influenced by metals and other elements in the environment. Geological processes along with human activities of all kinds have redistributed these from sites where they are fairly harmless to places where they adversely affect humans and animals.
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