Understanding the role of bedrock, settlement patterns, and water quality in human health equity

Project Summary Neither populations nor health outcomes are spread evenly across the natural environment. Due to historical patterns of selective land settlement, natural resource extraction, forced migration, and land viability, marginalized populations are more likely to live on land of poor quality. These patterns impact present-day

population health and health disparities through numerous mechanisms. A key underexplored mechanism linking land quality to health equity is bedrock lithology—the chemical and physical properties of bedrock—which is linked to population health through water quality. In this study, we will use an interdisciplinary approach to unravel

the relationship between bedrock lithology, settlement patterns, water quality, and health equity across the state of Oklahoma. This study innovates by piloting a novel methodology for collecting data on water quality and human health, while also showcasing a unique interdisciplinary link between geochemical and public health

research. We pursue our research relying upon a conceptual model developed for understanding the role of bedrock in a socially unjust society and do so through three specific aims: 1) Model the relationship between bedrock lithology, land use, settlement, and the uneven distribution of health-related water quality issues in Oklahoma.

2) Collect primary geochemical data to understand the relationship between bedrock lithology and filtration of health-impacting pollutants. 3) Survey households throughout Oklahoma to understand how bedrock lithology is impacting drinking water quality and human health. By employing a variety of techniques including secondary analysis of government data, primary geochemical

data collection, and a novel linked social science and household water survey, we will triangulate the relationship between bedrock lithology, drinking water quality, and human health equity. These results will form the essential building blocks of a larger proposal for independent R01 funding from the NIH in the future.