Joisha Girme / Chemistry & Biochemistry / Faculty Mentor: Purnendu Dasgupta
Iodine is essential to all mammalian life, it is the crucial element for the human body to synthesize thyroid hormones. Insufficient intake may lead to Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) and is prominently marked by the enlargement of the thyroid gland. Despite its pivotal role, Iodine intake is inadequate in many countries, including the United States. This is the reason salt is iodized, in most places with iodate but in North America with iodide. Only 20% of the salt we consume, however, is iodized. Despite salt iodization efforts, decadal nutrition studies conducted by the CDC show that iodine deficiency persists. A particular concerns centers on the health of pregnant women as well as the neurodevelopment of the fetus and then the infant. A substantial fraction of pregnant women have been reported to be iodine deficient and 47 % of lactating mothers may not be providing their infants with adequate iodine. Iodine nutrition is typically measured through urinary iodine excretion. While ICP-MS is considered the gold standard for this measurement, there is clearly a need for routine in-office iodine measurement by obstetricians and pediatricians. This review discusses prevailing challenges in iodine detection within urine and explores alternative methodologies.
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