Iodination of irrigation water as a method of supplying iodine to a severely iodine-deficient population in XinJiang, China

Summary Severe iodine deficiency still occurs in many countries, and causes cretinism and mental impairment. In southern Xinjiang province, China, after usual methods of iodine supplementation had failed, we iodinated irrigation water to increase iodine in soil, crops, animals, and human beings. 5%...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Lancet (British edition) 1994-07, Vol.344 (8915), p.107-110
Main Authors: Cao, X-Y, Jiang, X-M, Dou, Z-H, Rakeman, M.Abdul, Kareem, A, Zang, M-L, Ma, T, O'Donnell, K, DeLong, N, DeLong, G.R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture - economics
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Chemical elements
Child
Child, Preschool
China
Crops
Food Analysis
Goiter - etiology
Goiter - therapy
Humans
Iodates - administration & dosage
Iodine
Iodine - administration & dosage
Iodine - deficiency
Iodine - economics
Iodine - metabolism
Irrigation
Irrigation canals
Irrigation water
Medical research
Medical sciences
Metabolic diseases
Nutrient deficiency
Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...)
Plants - metabolism
Potassium Compounds - administration & dosage
Public health
Rural Health
Soil - analysis
Water
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Summary:Summary Severe iodine deficiency still occurs in many countries, and causes cretinism and mental impairment. In southern Xinjiang province, China, after usual methods of iodine supplementation had failed, we iodinated irrigation water to increase iodine in soil, crops, animals, and human beings. 5% potassium iodate solution, dripped into an irrigation canal for 12 or 24 days, increased soil iodine 3-fold, and crop and animal iodine 2-fold. Median urinary iodine excretion in children increased from 18 to 49 μg/L (two groups of similar age). The cost for iodine was US $0·05 per person per year. Soil iodine remained stable over one winter, and dripping of iodine during the second year (US $0·12 per person per year) resulted in a further 4-fold increase in soil iodine and a 1·8-fold increase in iodine in crops. We conclude that iodination of irrigation water is an advantageous and cost-effective method of supplying iodine in southern Xinjiang, and may be useful in other areas dependent on irrigation.
ISSN:0140-6736
1474-547X
DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(94)91286-6