Correspondence to: Professor Jiin-Shuh Jean, President of IMGA Taiwan

Taiwan Chapter of IMGA: Medical Geology in TaiwanMEDGEO2013 5th International Conference on Medical Geology,

Aug 24-29, 2013, Arlington, VA, USA

Correspondence to: Professor Jiin-Shuh Jean, President of IMGA Taiwan Chapter, Tainan, Taiwan (E-mail: [email protected])Chapter website: http://proj.ncku.edu.tw/imgatwn

●A certificate of recognition was conferred on the Taiwan Chapter on Medical Geology to the Chapter leader- Professor Jiin-Shuh Jean on 19 May 2010 at the 3rd International Congress of Arsenic in the Environment (As 2010) at the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), Tainan, Taiwan, 17-21 May 2010. ●The IMGA Taiwan Chapter completed the registration in May 2011 from the Ministry of Interior, Taiwan. The Inauguration Ceremony of the Chapter was held at NCKU on 12 July 2011.●The Chapter had the first Annual Meeting and Conference with the theme of “Frontiers of Medical Geology in Taiwan” at NCKU on 29 May 2012.●The Chapter had the second Annual Meeting and Conference with the theme of “Linking Medical, Biological, Environmental, Geological and Geochemical Sciences” at NCKU on 14 May 2013.

IV. Structure (http://proj.ncku.edu.tw/imgatwn)I. History(http://proj.ncku.edu.tw/imgatwn)

II. Membership●Currently, the Taiwan Chapter of IMGA has 15 active members with payment. ●The Chapter has established the Membership Committee to recruit more members. ●Our strategy to recruit more members is to (1)encourage existing members to continuously involve in chapter activity and conference; (2)recruit new members from universities, government, organizations, and industry.

III. Scientific Activity ((http://proj.ncku.edu.tw/imgatwn)

(d)

V. Medical Geology in Taiwan

●Prof. Laurent Charlet’s lecture to the 2nd Annual Meeting and Conference of Taiwan Chapter on 14 May 2013.

●Several medical geology problems in Taiwan have been reported. For example, arsenic-caused blackfoot disease (BFD) and skin lesions in SW Taiwan and water-borne diseases caused by microbes. Many potential topics in this emerging medical geology can be intensively explored. Taiwan has its base in scientific achievement in arsenic carcinogenesis and toxicity.

VI. Future Plan Keep a functional networking platform to promote the multidisciplinary

collaborations between geology, medicine, biology, physics, hydrology, etc. Promote health and earth sciences and public awareness through early

educations to the students in middle schools. Promote the biological-relevant environmental research through regular

activities.

●The source rock of arsenic in the Chianan Plain aquifer, SW Taiwan where blackfoot disease (BFD) occurred before 1990

●Blackfoot Disease (BFD) Museum in SW Taiwan

●Arsenic research

Prof. Laurent Charlet visited drilling wells in Budai, Chiayi County, Taiwan.

The arsenic-affected experimental site in Hsuehchia, Tainan City, Taiwan.

1.Organized Meetings:●1st Annual Meeting and Conference on 29 May 2012.●2nd Annual Meeting and Conference on 14 May 2013.2. Edited e-newsletters twice a year: June and December issues. 3. Edited a special issue on medical geology in Asia in Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (in press).4. Invited speakers to the Annual Meetings and Conferences.●Prof. Jose Centeno’s lecture to the 1s Annual Meeting and Conference of Taiwan Chapter on 29 May 2012.

5. Multidisciplinary integrated research grant project from National Science Council for a study of molecular structure evolution of arsenic and humic substance complexes from arsenic-enriched groundwater to mice (1 Aug. 2013- 31 July 2014).