Urinary iodine concentrations in the high background radiation areas of Kanyakumari district, Tamilnadu, India.
We screened urinary iodine (UI) concentrations in high background radiation areas of the Kanyakumari district of Tamilnadu, India. We collected 331 urine samples from three villages in the district: Chinna-Villai, Kadiyapatinam, and Pallam-Annai nagar. The median UI concentrations were 257, 262, and 454 microg/L in Chinna-Villai, Kadiyapatinam, and Pallam-Annai nagar, respectively. Only 27 samples showed mild or moderate iodine deficiency (<100 microg/L) and none showed severe deficiency (<20 microg/L). These findings indicate that iodine supplementation in the villages is sufficient, probably as a result of appropriate fortification of iodized salt in the region. Further screening, including morphological and functional analysis of the thyroid gland, will be needed to clarify the health effects of chronic low-dose radiation exposure attributable to residing in a high background radiation area.
Department of Radiation Epidemiology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Gopalganapathi M
GM
Brahmanandhan
Naomi
N
Hayashida
Yasuyuki
Y
Taira
Jeyapandian
J
Malathi
David
D
Khnna
Subramaniyan
S
Selvasekarapandian
Naoki
N
Matsuda
Noboru
N
Takamura
D001417:Background Radiation; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007455:Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000652:urine*; D012424:Rural Population; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects
D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; C034024:iodized salt; D007455:Iodine